Honoring Public Child Welfare Agencies

Floor Speech

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 789) honoring public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities providing services for foster children, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the resolution.

The text of the resolution is as follows:

H. Res. 789

Whereas over 500,000 children in the United States are currently in foster care which is twice as many as 15 years ago;

Whereas the majority of these children and youth have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect;

Whereas foster children experience a number of unique challenges based on instability in their home and school environments;

Whereas just over half of all foster children complete high school, 30 percent continue to rely on public assistance into adulthood and 25 percent will experience homelessness at one point in their lives;

Whereas numerous public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities work tirelessly to recruit loving foster families and improve the lives of foster children;

Whereas these groups strive to consider the best interest of each child and focus on keeping families together when possible;

Whereas they provide invaluable resources to foster families as well as teachers, counselors, physicians, clergy, and others who work closely with children in the foster care system;

Whereas these groups are dedicated to changing public policy and raising awareness related to the special needs of foster children; and

Whereas they continue to sponsor research, develop best practices, and offer assistance to youth transitioning out of the system to ensure they receive adequate support as they reach adulthood: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the contributions of public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities dedicated to finding homes for foster children and assisting foster families in securing the future success of their foster children.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) each will control 20 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.

GENERAL LEAVE

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert material relevant to H. Res. 789 into the Record.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?

There was no objection.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the public welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations, private entities and compassionate individuals that work tirelessly to support foster children.

Since May is National Foster Care Month, it is appropriate that today we salute the many individuals and organizations that provide foster care services to over 500,000 children currently in foster care nationwide.

National Foster Care Month originated in 1988 and has served to heighten awareness for the issue since that time. By increasing visibility of this important issue, organizations are better able to reach out to the community and recruit individuals to support children throughout the year. By connecting foster youth with caring adults we can ensure that children do not face life's challenges alone.

Child welfare issues are present in families of all races, ethnicities and cultures. However, children of color make up a disproportionate number of children in foster care. Without a stable home, these young people confront many challenges. Although some of these young people are able to overcome the challenges of abuse and neglect, others continue to deal with their effects long into adulthood.

Research finds that just 54 percent of foster care youth complete high school and 25 percent will face homelessness at some point in their lives. Additionally, research has shown that children in foster care are more likely than their peers to deal with poverty, unemployment, incarceration, poor health and other hardships.

We must do what we can to support these young Americans and help them cultivate the necessary skills to live successfully and independently. More than 20,000 young people age out of foster care each year, and today we recognize the many individuals, families, neighborhoods, communities and organizations that work collectively together to ensure that all children can grow up with the support they need to be healthy and safe.

So, Mr. Speaker, once again I express my support for H. Res. 789 and recognize the hard work so many put in on a daily basis to help children in foster care reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives or to be adopted by loving families. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just want to be associated with the comments of Mr. Castle, and I also want to commend Mrs. Bachmann and her family, her husband, for the outstanding role modeling which they display. I was taught that you can't lead where you don't go and you can't teach what you don't know, and they demonstrate the very best of what it means to be associated and involved with caring for children who are not necessarily your own. And so I certainly commend them for the outstanding service they provide.

I urge passage of this resolution.

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