SRES-323-116
Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5633; text: CR S5631-5632)
Sponsored by Ron Wyden (D-OR)
What it does
This resolution officially designates September 2019 as "National Kinship Care Month." It encourages community organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders to collaborate on improving the well-being of children raised by relatives or close family friends rather than parents. The resolution carries no binding legal force, creates no new programs, and allocates no funding.
Who benefits
Kinship caregivers — grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and family friends raising children whose parents are unable to do so — would receive symbolic national recognition. Advocacy organizations focused on kinship care and child welfare would gain a platform to raise public awareness. Children in kinship care arrangements, estimated at roughly 2.5 million in the U.S., could benefit indirectly if increased awareness leads to greater community or policy support.
Who is hurt
No group is directly or materially harmed by this resolution. Because it is purely symbolic and non-binding, it imposes no costs, mandates, or restrictions on any individual, organization, or government entity.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that designating a national awareness month shines a spotlight on the roughly 2.5 million children in the U.S. who are raised by relatives or close family friends rather than parents — a population that is often overlooked in public policy discussions. They contend that symbolic recognition by the Senate can catalyze community action, encourage local governments and nonprofits to expand support services, and signal to kinship caregivers that their contributions are valued. Awareness campaigns tied to such designations have historically helped mobilize volunteers, donors, and policymakers around underserved populations at no cost to taxpayers.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that symbolic resolutions like this one consume limited legislative time and floor resources without producing any measurable improvement in the lives of children or caregivers. They contend that if kinship care is a genuine national priority, Congress should instead pass legislation that creates or funds concrete support programs — such as expanded subsidies, training, or legal assistance for kinship caregivers — rather than issuing a non-binding declaration. Critics also note that awareness month designations are so numerous that they risk diluting public attention rather than meaningfully elevating any single cause.