Shown Here:
Engrossed in Senate (02/15/2012)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Affirms that all children in the world, including those with special needs, deserve a safe, loving, nurturing, and permanent family, connections with siblings and relatives, or a permanent relationship with a caring adult.

Acknowledges that the United States can and should do more by working with the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and faith-based communities to implement cost effective strategies that connect children living outside of family care with a permanent, supportive family, or connections with siblings and relatives, or a permanent relationship with a caring adult.

Encourages states, counties, cities, and to the extent appropriate, other governments to invest resources in family preservation, reunification services, services to help older youth transition out of care with a connection to siblings, relatives or a caring adult, kinship adoption, domestic adoption, and intercountry adoption and post adoption strategies to ensure that more children in the United States are provided with safe, loving, and permanent family placements or a permanent relationship with a caring adult.

Recognizes the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State for recent efforts to develop a strategy for meeting the unique needs of children living outside of family care.

Expresses the sense of the Senate that children should have a safe, loving, nurturing, and permanent family.

Declars that it is U.S. policy that family reunification, kinship care, or domestic and intercountry adoption promotes permanency and stability to a greater degree than long-term institutionalization and long-term, continually disrupted foster care.