A resolution ensuring that the adoption and foster care system in the United States is child-centered and compassionate and that young people aging out of foster care are provided with adequate support and resources to transition successfully to independent adulthood.

Whereas more than 340,000 children and youth in the United States are currently in foster care, and more than 100,000 of those children are eligible for adoption, many having experienced trauma, neglect, or instability before entering the system;
Whereas the purpose of foster care is to provide safe, nurturing, and temporary care for children who cannot safely remain with their families while working toward reunification or another permanent, loving home;
Whereas children and youth in foster care often experience placement instability, separation from siblings, and educational disruption, all of which require specialized care and individualized support;
Whereas the well-being of children in foster care depends on transparency, accountability, and oversight to ensure that State and private agencies operate with integrity, compassion, and fairness;
Whereas foster parents, kinship caregivers, and adoptive parents should be equipped with the training, resources, and emotional supports needed to meet children’s developmental needs;
Whereas approximately 20,000 young people age out of foster care each year without permanent family connections, leaving many at increased risk of homelessness, unemployment, mental health challenges, and involvement with the criminal justice system;
Whereas ethical and compassionate foster care extends beyond childhood, requiring sustained support for youth transitioning to adulthood through education, housing, employment, and relational permanency; and
Whereas the United States has a strong moral and civic duty to ensure that every child in the adoption and foster care system, and every young adult who leaves that system has the chance to thrive and make meaningful contributions to their communities: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
affirms that compassion, transparency, ethics, and accountability must guide every aspect of the adoption and foster care system in the United States;
emphasizes that the safety, well-being, and long-term stability of the child must remain the paramount consideration in all adoption and foster care decisions;
encourages Federal, State, and local governments to strengthen policies and programs that prioritize family preservation and reunification whenever safe for the child, provide adequate training and emotional support for adoptive, foster, and kinship caregivers, and improve oversight and training mechanisms designed to prevent neglect or abuse within the adoption and foster care system and reduce placement disruptions;
recognizes that youth who age out of foster care may require support in finding education and employment opportunities, housing, mental health services, and positive mentors;
honors the commitment of adoptive and foster parents, kinship caregivers, social workers, judges, case managers, and child advocates; and
calls upon Congress, the Administration, and all State and local child welfare systems to work collaboratively toward a future in which every child in the adoption and foster care system is cared for ethically, supported compassionately, and given the foundation to thrive in stable family and community relationships.