WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) was joined by her colleagues in the Foster Youth Caucus, Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02), Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04), Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03), Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), and Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01), in introducing a resolution to recognize September as National Kinship Care Month. This resolution encourages the implementation of policies that support kinship care in the foster system to reaffirm the importance of improving outcomes for vulnerable children and honor the commitment and dedication of kinship caregivers and advocates.
“As a Co-Chair of the Foster Youth Caucus and longtime supporter of foster youth and their families, I am proud to lead my colleagues in introducing this resolution honoring the influence of kin caregivers and designating September as National Kinship Care Month,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “Kin caregivers are so vital to the wellbeing, support, and safety of our foster youth. Foster youth that can turn to close family or fictive kin often avoid the trauma of being separated from the family or communities that they know. We must continue to defend kinship connections in our work to reform the foster care system. In doing so, we can effectively minimize negative outcomes for our youth such as homelessness and poverty while promoting permanency for our children. I will continue to work with my Foster Youth Caucus colleagues to address the needs of our nation’s foster youth to allow them to maintain critical bonds with their loved ones.”
“When children, through no fault of their own, are not able to remain under the care of their parents, family members who step up should be supported,” said Congressman Bacon. “The current system disincentivizes relatives from caring for children, and children end up disconnected from their families, communities, and culture during an already disorienting time in their lives. We should be working to ensure the best outcome for foster children, and kinship care is a big factor in improving child welfare.”
“The Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth continues to prioritize uplifting kinship caregivers and raising awareness of the improvements and resources that must be directed toward kinship programs,” said Congresswoman Moore. “As Caucus Chair, I am proud to co-lead this resolution to designate September as Kinship Care Month. This designation not only serves as a reminder of the critical role kinship caregivers play in lives of our children, but also provides an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of supporting these families.”
“Kinship care is a critical part of ensuring that all children can grow up in stable and loving homes,” said Congresswoman Scanlon. “But families often face undue barriers to obtaining the resources they need to care for younger relatives when their parents are unavailable. I saw this firsthand while working for decades as a child advocate. I represented multiple families that struggled to overcome legal, financial, and emotional challenges while providing kinship care. I am proud to join my fellow Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, Rep. Kamlager-Dove, to recognize September 2023 as National Kinship Care Month to celebrate the committed and nurturing kin and fictive kin family members who step up to care for children in their life.”
"As staunch advocates for strong families and community support, we proudly support the resolution to recognize September as National Kinship Care Month. Kinship caregivers play a vital role in providing stability and love for children in need, stepping up to care for their relatives when circumstances require it,” said Congresswoman Mace. “By honoring their commitment and highlighting the importance of kinship care, we can raise awareness, promote resources, and empower these unsung heroes to ensure every child has a safe and nurturing environment to thrive."
“Since my wife and I adopted our daughters, we’ve experienced firsthand how important it was for their wellbeing to keep the two sisters together,” said Congressman Nunn. “Keeping families together is undoubtedly in the best interest of foster children, which is why empowering kin to step up in this process is so critically important.”
"At the National Foster Youth Institute, we are in support of the linguistic, traditional, and spiritual cultural preservation of children and youth in the child welfare system. We understand the loss of family and culture adds to the traumatic experience a child faces when separated from their biological family, which we aim to prevent. NFYI is fully supportive of prioritizing kin-first placements to prevent the negative impacts of traditional foster placements and facility outcomes, which too often result in the separation of siblings and the loss of family values. We stand in solidarity with the Kinship Resolution as it fosters an opportunity to work together and create a safety net for the children and youth and families we advocate for,” said the National Foster Youth Institute.
Out of the over 400,000 children in foster care, 133,405 children are formally placed in kinship foster care, with an additional 2,667,000 children supported by kin caregivers in informal kinship arrangements outside of the foster care system. Black and Indigenous children make up a majority of these kinship arrangements and can be comprised of grandparents, siblings, members of Tribes, godparents, stepparents, or other non-related kin caregivers. Those in kinship care save taxpayers more than $4 billion annually.
To read the full bill text, click here. |