Senate Resolution No. 2311

BY: Senator PARKER

RECOGNIZING May 2026, as Foster Care Month in the
State of New York, and honoring the foster parents,
families, case workers, and advocates who serve the
children of this State with devotion and care

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
celebrate those observances that call our attention to the needs of the
most vulnerable members of our communities, and to honor those who
answer the call to provide care, stability, and love for children who
cannot remain in their birth homes; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to recognize May
2026, as Foster Care Month in the State of New York, joining communities
across the Nation in honoring the foster parents, families, caseworkers,
and advocates whose daily commitment to the welfare of children in care
reflects the very best of civic responsibility and human compassion; and

WHEREAS, National Foster Care Month was established in 1988 when
President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating May as a time
to recognize and honor foster parents and families, following the
initiative of the National Foster Parent Association, which recognized
the need for a national campaign to bring attention to the issues facing
foster children and families and to promote greater support for the
child welfare system; since that first proclamation, every President of
the United States has issued an annual proclamation in recognition of
National Foster Care Month, affirming the Nation's ongoing commitment to
the children who depend upon this system; and

WHEREAS, The United States Children's Bureau, the federal agency
charged with oversight of child welfare, foster care, and adoption, was
founded in 1912, when President William Howard Taft signed into law the
bill that created it, following years of grassroots advocacy by social
reformers Lillian Wald and Florence Kelley; and the Social Security Act
of 1935 provided federal funding for child welfare services for the
first time, laying the foundation for the modern foster care system that
serves hundreds of thousands of children across the country today; and

WHEREAS, According to the most recent data from the Adoption and
Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, there are approximately
331,747 children in the United States foster care system, each one a
child whose circumstances have required the intervention of the State
and the generosity of families and caregivers willing to open their
homes; and

WHEREAS, In New York State, the rate of children in foster care was
1.2 per 1,000 children in 2022, a significant decline from 2.3 per 1,000
in 2005, reflecting the impact of expanded community-based preventive
services and a sustained commitment to keeping families together
wherever safely possible; in New York City, the number of children in
the foster care system reached a historic low of approximately 7,200 as
of 2022, with the proportion of children placed with kinship caregivers
- relatives, close family friends, and others already in a child's life
- increasing from 31 percent in 2018 to 43 percent in 2021, reflecting

research showing that children in foster care fare best when placed with
those who already know and love them; and

WHEREAS, Behind every statistic is a child: a child who has
experienced loss, disruption, or harm through no fault of their own; a
child who deserves safety, stability, and the knowledge that someone in
this world believes in their future; Foster Care Month is an occasion
not only to honor those who serve these children but to recommit this
Legislative Body to the policies, investments, and systemic reforms that
every child in care deserves; and

WHEREAS, The foster parents, kinship caregivers, adoptive families,
caseworkers, attorneys, judges, advocates, and child welfare
professionals who dedicate themselves to the children of New York's
foster care system do work that is among the most difficult and most
essential in our civic life, and they deserve the recognition, support,
and resources that will enable them to continue; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
recognize May 2026, as Foster Care Month in the State of New York, and
to extend heartfelt gratitude and deep appreciation to every foster
parent, kinship caregiver, caseworker, advocate, and child welfare
professional who shows up every day for the children of this State; and
be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services
and to child welfare organizations across the State of New York as an
expression of this Legislative Body's commitment to the safety,
stability, and wellbeing of every child in foster care.