,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #gcf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september
 #cj 7legislative day1 ,september #bi71 
#bjbj,mr4 ,wyden 7for himself1 ,mr4     
,grassley1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,ms4       
,hassan1 ,mr4 ,lankford1 ,mr4 ,casey1   
,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,south  
,carolina1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 ,ms4    
,sinema1 ,mr4 ,roberts1 ,mr4 ,young1    
,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4  
,kaine1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,schumer1 and 
,mr4 ,braun7 submitted the following    
resolution2 which was considered and    
agreed to  ,,resolution  ,designating   
,september #bjbj as ,national ,kinship  
,care ,month4  ,whereas1 in ,september  
#bjbj1 ,national ,kinship ,care ,month  
is observed2 ,whereas1 nationally1      
#b1gjj1jjj children are living in       
kinship care with grandparents1 other   
relatives1 and family friends 7fictive  
kin72 ,whereas1 nationally1 nearly #a_/c
 of all foster care placements are in   
kinship foster care1 with more than     

#acc1jjj children placed in kinship     
foster care2 ,whereas more than         
#b1fjj1jjj kinship children live in     
informal kinship care outside of the    
foster care system2 ,whereas1 while     
kinship care is the most common term for
 relative caregivers of children1 they  
are sometimes also referred to as       
kincaregivers or grandfamilies2 ,whereas
 the number of children placed in foster
 care continues to increase due in part 
to the opioid crisis1 and child welfare 
agencies are increasingly reliant on    
grandparents and other kinship          
caregivers2 ,whereas1 during the        
,,covid-#ai pandemic1 kinship caregivers
 who are often grandparents with health 
vulnerabilities are parenting children  
in their homes1 often with limited      
support2 ,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-- 
7#a7 to maintain family relationships   
and cultural heritage2 and  7#b7 to     
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 problems2      
,whereas kinship caregivers face        
daunting challenges to keep children    
from entering foster care2 ,whereas1    
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 caregivers1 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      
fictive kin2 ,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 to help
 kin2 ,whereas1 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 ,whereas1 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    
#bjbj 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