Bill Text: NJ AJR103 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designated May of each year as "Foster Care Month" in New Jersey.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-01 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee [AJR103 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-AJR103-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Designates May of each year as "Foster Care Month" in New Jersey.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating May of each year as "Foster Care Month" in New Jersey.
Whereas, Foster care is a system in which a minor is placed into a ward, group home, or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family member approved by that state; and
Whereas, The placement of the child is normally arranged through the government or a social service agency. The institution, group home, or foster parent is compensated for expenses unless the child is placed with a family member; and
Whereas, In some states, relative or "kinship" caregivers of children who are wards of the state are provided with a financial stipend; and
Whereas, In 2021, there were 3,188 children in New Jersey's foster care system, down from 3,788 in 2020. Of those children, 1,640 were male and 1,547 were female; and
Whereas, In 2021, among the children in New Jersey's foster care system, 1,242, or 39 percent, were African-American, 868, or 27 percent, were Hispanic-American, 26, or 1 percent, were Asian-American and Pacific Islander, and 862, or 27 percent, were White-American; and
Whereas, In New Jersey, 1,698 children, or 53 percent, were living in the home of a non-relative foster parent, and 1,282 foster children, or 40 percent of those children, were living with licensed kinship foster parents in 2021; and
Whereas, Between 2020 and 2021, the number of children in New Jersey who were placed in Department of Children and Families (DCF) supervised out-of-home placements decreased from 3,717 to 3,213, a 13.5 percent reduction; and
Whereas, According to the DCF, this reduction is attributable both to New Jersey's statewide prevention network and the State's ongoing effort to preserve families and keep children and parents together in their homes while receiving child welfare services; and
Whereas, National Foster Care Month is an initiative of the Children's Bureau within the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and
Whereas, National Foster Care Month is celebrated each May, and is a time to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections with families; and
Whereas, The Children's Bureau--together a host of other Federal, State, and local partners--builds awareness for National Foster Care Month through a dedicated website that includes resources, stories, and outreach tools to help spread awareness of the purpose of recognizing the month at the State and local levels; and
Whereas, This year's theme for National Foster Care Month is focused on relative and kinship connections to keep families strong; and
Whereas, The National Foster Care Month website will feature tools to help child welfare professionals develop strategies for: prioritizing family placements; licensing relative caregivers; and providing equitable and culturally competent supports to relative and kinship care providers; and
Whereas, It is appropriate to designate the month of May as "Foster Care Month" to promote awareness of the more than 3,100 children and youth in the State of New Jersey's foster care system, and to celebrate the child welfare professionals who find permanent homes, facilitate connections with families, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those children and youth; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The month of May of each year is designated as "Foster Care Month" in the State of New Jersey to promote awareness of the more than 3,100 children and youth in the State's foster care system, and to celebrate the child welfare professionals who find permanent homes, facilitate connections with families, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those children and youth.
2. The Governor is respectfully requested to annually issue a proclamation designating May as "Foster Care Month" in New Jersey and calling upon public officials and citizens of this State to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates the month of May of each year is as "Foster Care Month" in the State of New Jersey to promote awareness of the more than 3,100 children and youth in the State's foster care system, and to celebrate the child welfare professionals who find permanent homes, facilitate connections with families, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those children and youth.
