Floor Situation

H.Res. 391 is expected to be considered on the floor of the House on Tuesday, May 5, under a motion to suspend the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority vote for passage. The bill was introduced by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) on April 30, 2009, and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, which took no official action.

Bill Summary

H.Res. 391 would express the sense that the House of Representatives:

• "Supports the designation of a ‘National Foster Care Month"
• "Acknowledges the needs of children in the foster care system;
• "Honors the commitment and dedication of those individuals who work tirelessly to provide assistance and services to children in the foster care system; and
• "Recognizes the need to continue work to improve outcomes of all children in the foster care system through the title IV program in the Social Security Act and other programs that are designed to help children in the foster care system reunite with their biological parents and, when children are unable to return to their biological parents, to find them a permanent, safe, and loving home."

 

Background

According to the resolution's findings, more than 500,000 children in the U.S. receive care through the nation's foster care system. In 2007, 293,000 children entered the foster care system because they were not given proper care by their biological parents or guardians. On average, approximately 131,000 children, or 23 percent of all children in foster care at any given time, are seeking full time placement in adoptive homes. Though foster care is meant to be a temporary placement situation for children, on average, kids in foster care remain in the system for two years.