May as National Foster Care Month

Floor Speech

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Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, this month, I join my colleagues in recognizing May as National Foster Care Month.

National Foster Care Month was established over 20 years ago to bring foster care issues to the forefront, highlight the importance of permanency for every child, and recognize the essential role that foster parents, social workers, and advocates have in the lives of children in foster care throughout the United States.

The goal of this special month is to raise awareness about the experiences and needs of the more than 400,000 youth in the foster care system.

It is also an opportunity to celebrate the thousands of dedicated foster families who care for these children as well as the social workers and service providers who support them.

I'd like to share a few statistics that showcase the child welfare landscape.

In 2013, there were an estimated 399,546 children in foster care.

In Ohio, there are about 14,000 children in foster care and 2,500 of these children are waiting for adoptive homes.

We cannot allow these statistics to shape the reality of our nation's foster youth.

All children deserve safe, loving, and permanent homes.

We have a responsibility to continue to create policies that will improve outcomes and the overall well-being of foster youth and their families.

While we have made progress, there is still much more to do.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to enable every child in foster care can succeed.

Every child in our country deserves the opportunity to succeed, and I hope that throughout the month of May, we'll be able to raise awareness to the needs of foster children across the United States.

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