,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #cbc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september
 #bc1 #bjai,mr4 ,wyden 7for himself1    
,mr4 ,grassley1 ,mr4 ,roberts1 ,mr4     
,casey1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,mr4 
,brown1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,ms4 ,sinema1  
,mr4 ,schumer1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4      
,young1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,daines1 and  
,mr4 ,van ,hollen7 submitted the        
following resolution2 which was         
considered and agreed to  ,,resolution  
,designating ,september #bjai as        
,national ,kinship ,care ,month4        
,whereas in ,september #bjai1 ,national 
,kinship ,care ,month is observed2      
,whereas nationally1 #b1gjj1jjj children
 are living in kinship care with        
grandparents1 other relatives1 and      
family friends2 ,whereas nationally1    
nearly #a_/c of all foster care         
placements are in kinship foster care1  
with #adj1jjj children placed with      
grandparents1 other relatives1 and      
family friends2 ,whereas more than      

#b1efj1jjj kinship children live in     
informal kinship care outside of the    
foster care system2 ,whereas the        
percentage of children who are in       
kinship foster care has increased by    
almost #aj percent since #bjjf2 ,whereas
 the number of children placed in foster
 care continues to increase due in part 
to the opioid crisis and child welfare  
agencies are increasingly reliant on    
families who take in kin2 ,whereas while
 kinship care is the most common term   
for relative caregivers of children1    
they are sometimes also referred to as  
kincaregivers or grandfamilies2 ,whereas
 kinship caregivers residing in urban1  
rural1 and suburban households in every 
,state and territory of the ,united     
,states have stepped forward out of love
 and loyalty to care for children during
 times in which parents are unable to do
 so2 ,whereas kinship caregivers provide
 safety1 promote well-being1 and        
establish stable households for         
vulnerable children2 ,whereas kinship   

care homes offer a refuge for           
traumatized children2 ,whereas kinship  
care enables a child to maintain family 
relationships and cultural heritage and 
remain in the community of the child2   
,whereas the wisdom and compassion of   
kinship caregivers is a source of       
self-reliance and strength for countless
 children and for the entire ,united    
,states2 ,whereas children in kinship   
care experience improved placement      
stability1 higher levels of permanency1 
and decreased behavioral problems       
relative to other children in foster    
care2 ,whereas kinship caregivers face  
daunting challenges to keep children    
from entering foster care2 ,whereas     
because of parental substance use       
disorders and other adverse childhood   
experiences1 children in kinship care   
frequently have trauma-related          
conditions2 ,whereas many kinship       
caregivers give up their retirement     
years to assume parenting duties for    
children2 ,whereas the ,senate wishes to

 honor the many kinship caregivers who  
throughout the history of the ,united   
,states have provided loving homes for  
children2 ,whereas the first ,president 
of the ,united ,states1 ,george         
,washington1 and his wife ,martha were  
themselves kinship caregivers1 as were  
many other great people of the ,united  
,states2 ,whereas the ,senate is proud  
to recognize the many kinship care      
families in which a child is raised by  
grandparents1 other relatives1 and      
family friends2 ,whereas ,national      
,kinship ,care ,month provides an       
opportunity to urge people in every     
,state to join in recognizing and       
celebrating kinship caregiving families 
and the tradition of families in the    
,united ,states helping kin2 ,whereas in
 #bjah1 ,congress provided for kinship  
navigator programs and services in the  
,family ,first ,prevention ,services    
,act enacted under title ,,vii of       
division ,e of the ,bipartisan ,budget  
,act of #bjah 7,public ,law #aae-abc2   

#acb ,stat4 #fd7 and the ,consolidated  
,appropriations ,act1 #bjah 7,public    
,law #aae-ada2 #acb ,stat4 #cdh72       
,whereas in #bjah1 ,congress provided   
for the formation of the ,advisory      
,council to ,support ,grandparents      
,raising ,grandchildren to examine      
supports for grandparents and other     
kinship caregivers in the ,supporting   
,grandparents ,raising ,grandchildren   
,act 7,public ,law #aae-aif2 #acb ,stat4
 #aeaa72 and ,whereas more remains to be
 done to support kinship caregiving and 
to ensure that all children have a safe1
 loving1 nurturing1 and permanent       
family1 regardless of age or special    
needs3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that the
 ,senate-- 7#a7 designates ,september   
#bjai as ,national ,kinship ,care       
,month2  7#b7 encourages ,congress1     
,states1 local governments1 and         
community organizations to continue to  
work to improve the lives of vulnerable 
children and families and to support the
 communities working together to lift   

them up2 and  7#c7 honors the commitment
 and dedication of kinship caregivers   
and the advocates and allies who work   
tirelessly to provide assistance and    
services to kinship caregiving families4