SRES516-119

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.