Senate Highlights National Foster Care Month

On May 9, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 471) recognizing May 2006 as “National Foster Care Month.” The resolution encourages government leaders at the federal, state, and local levels to improve the care provided to foster children in the United States, while urging the Senate to identify the role of government in ensuring that foster children receive appropriate parenting throughout their childhood.

Sponsored by Sen. Norman Coleman (R-MN), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

• More than 500,000 children are in foster care programs throughout the United States;
• While approximately one-fourth of all children in foster care programs are available for adoption, only about 50,000 foster children are adopted each year;
• Approximately 50 percent of foster care children have been placed in foster care programs for longer than 1 year;
• 25 percent of foster care children have been placed in foster care programs for at least 3 years; and
• Children who spend time in foster care programs are more likely to become teen parents, rely on public assistance when they become adults, and interact with the criminal justice system.