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Congressional Daily Record
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Issued
May 14, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextOPPORTUNITY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND TO ENCOURAGE CONGRESS TO IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO
IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM
Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Daines, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Warner, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Barrasso, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Young, Mrs. Britt, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Blackburn, and Mr. Husted) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 737
Whereas National Foster Care Month was established more
than 30 years ago—
(1) to bring foster care issues to the forefront;
(2) to highlight the importance of permanency for every
child; and
(3) to recognize the essential role that foster parents,
social workers, and advocates have in the lives of children
in foster care throughout the United States;
Whereas all children deserve a safe, loving, and permanent
home;
Whereas the primary goal of the foster care system is to
ensure the safety and well-being of children while working to
provide a safe, loving, and permanent home for each child;
Whereas there are approximately 331,747 children living in
foster care in the United States;
Whereas there were approximately 175,008 youths that
entered the foster care system in 2025 in the United States,
and more than 67,249 youths were awaiting adoption at the end
of 2025;
Whereas approximately 51,603 children entered foster care
in 2025 due to parental drug abuse;
Whereas children of color are more likely to stay in the
foster care system for longer periods of time and are less
likely to be reunited with their biological families;
Whereas foster parents are the front-line caregivers for
children who cannot safely remain with their biological
parents, and foster parents provide physical care, emotional
support, and education advocacy, and are the largest cohort
of families that provide permanent homes for children leaving
through adoption;
Whereas children in foster care who are placed with
relatives, compared to children placed with non-relatives—
(1) have more stability, including fewer changes in
placements;
(2) have more positive perceptions of their placements;
(3) are more likely to be placed with their siblings; and
(4) demonstrate fewer behavioral problems;
Whereas some relative caregivers receive less financial
assistance and support services than do foster caregivers;
Whereas an increased emphasis on prevention and
reunification services is necessary to reduce the number of
children that enter or re-enter the foster care system;
Whereas approximately 15,030 youths aged out of foster care
in 2025 without a legal permanent connection to an adult or
family;
Whereas youth who age out of foster care lack the security
or support of a biological or adoptive family and frequently
struggle to secure affordable housing, obtain health
insurance, pursue higher education, and acquire adequate
employment;
Whereas foster care is intended to be a temporary
placement, but children remain in the foster care system for
an average of 22.9 months;
Whereas approximately \1/3\ of children in foster care
experience more than 2 placements while in care, which often
leads to the disruption of routines, including changing
schools, and moving away from siblings, extended families,
and familiar surroundings;
Whereas youth in foster care are much more likely to face
educational instability, with a study showing that 75 percent
of foster youth experienced an unscheduled school change
during a school year, compared to less than 40 percent of
youth not in foster care;
Whereas children entering foster care often confront the
widespread misperception that children in foster care are
disruptive, unruly, and dangerous, even though placement in
foster care is based on the actions of a parent or guardian,
not the child;
Whereas 30 percent of children in foster care are taking
not less than 1 anti-psychotic medication, and 34 percent of
those children are not receiving adequate treatment planning
or medication monitoring;
Whereas, due to heavy caseloads and limited resources, the
average annual turnover rate is between 23 percent and 60
percent for child welfare workers;
Whereas States, localities, and communities should be
encouraged to invest resources in preventative and
reunification services and post-permanency programs to ensure
that more children and older youth in foster care are
provided safe, loving, and permanent placements;
Whereas, in 2018, Congress passed the Family First
Prevention Services Act (Public Law 115-123; 132 Stat. 232),
which provided new investments in prevention and family
reunification services to help more families stay together
and ensure more children are in safe, loving, and permanent
homes;
Whereas Federal legislation during the past 4 decades,
including the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of
1980 (Public Law 96-272; 94 Stat. 500), the Adoption and Safe
Families Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-89; 111 Stat. 2115), the
Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act
of 2008 (Public Law 110-351; 122 Stat. 3949), the Child and
Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (Public Law
112-34;125 Stat. 369), the Preventing Sex Trafficking and
Strengthening Families Act (Public Law 113-183; 128 Stat.
1919), and the Supporting America's Children and Families Act
(Public Law 118-258; 138 Stat. 2947) provided new investments
and services to improve the outcomes of children in the
foster care system;
Whereas May 2026 is an appropriate month to designate as
“National Foster Care Month” and provides an opportunity to
acknowledge the child welfare workforce, foster parents, the
advocacy community, and mentors for their dedication,
accomplishments, and the positive impact they have on the
lives of children; and
Whereas much remains to be done to ensure that all children
have a safe, loving, nurturing, and permanent family,
regardless of age or special needs: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) supports the designation of May 2026 as “National
Foster Care Month”;
(2) recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity
to raise awareness about the challenges that children face in
the foster care system;
(3) encourages Congress to implement policies to improve
the lives of children in the foster care system;
(4) acknowledges the unique needs of children in the foster
care system;
(5) recognizes foster youth throughout the United States
for their ongoing tenacity, courage, and resilience while
facing life challenges;
(6) acknowledges the exceptional alumni of the foster care
system who serve as advocates and role models for youths who
remain in care;
(7) honors the commitment and dedication of the individuals
who work tirelessly to provide assistance and services to
children in the foster care system;
(8) supports the designation of May 31, 2026, as “National
Foster Parent Appreciation Day”;
(9) recognizes National Foster Parent Appreciation Day as
an opportunity to recognize the efforts of foster parents to
provide safe and loving care for children in need and to
raise awareness about the increasing need for foster parents
to serve in their communities; and
(10) reaffirms the need to continue working to improve the
outcomes of all children in the foster care system through
initiatives designed—
(A) to support vulnerable families;
(B) to prevent families from entering the foster care
system and reunite families in cases where reunification is
in the best interest of the child;
(C) to promote adoption in cases where reunification is not
in the best interests of the child;
(D) to adequately serve those children brought into the
foster care system; and
(E) to facilitate the successful transition into adulthood
for youth that age out of the foster care system.