Still Waiting

President Bush has yet to act on the wishes of Congress. As previously reported, it took me 17 years to see this issue make it to the floor of Congress. Now we are still waiting on the President to act. I have called, emailed and wrote the President on this issue, and will continue to do so until he responds.

For those not familiar with what I am speaking of, the video below tells about it.


Every reader of this blog along with all Foster Parents need to ban together and urge the President to make the Proclamation that Congress has urged him to issue in H. R. 179.

Idea of Foster Parents Day Approved by Congress

On Sunday, April 22, 2007 Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (D-KS-2ND) held a press conference along with former foster child, Kevin Surbaugh, and Don Jordan, secretary of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

Kevin Surbaugh has spent the past 17 years working to get Clifford and Phyllis Oshel and others like them recognized.

Years ago, the Oshels became foster parents. Surbaugh was one of the kids they cared for.

"The Oshels provided me a loving home," he said during a news conference Sunday.

For the Oshels, being foster parents was a good challenge.

"I'm thankful to God that we were called to be foster parents," Phyllis Oshel said.

Seventeen long years, 1990-2007, I have approached each Congress Person from Kansas' 2ND district, with the exception of Jim Slattery (D-KS) who was an out right no, each member was positive to the idea, but failed to take the idea to Congress.

Surbaugh said former state Rep. Jim Cates got a similar resolution passed in Kansas in 1990. Since then, Surbaugh has broached the subject with each person who has held the 2ND District congressional seat. While most supported the idea, he said, none before Boyda introduced a resolution.

"If we can have special days for every lobby there is, why has it taken so long to recognize the loving and hard-working foster parents of this country?" he said.

On Monday, April 23, H. R. 179 was voted on and passed with the required 2/3rds majority. The vote was 390-0 with 42 members not voting. Democratic 217 Republican 173.

Those not voting:
Alexander
Boozman
Brady (PA)
Brown, Corrine
Buyer
Costello
Cubin
Culberson
Davis, Jo Ann
Davis, Tom
Deal (GA)
Emerson
Everett
Fattah
Gallegly
Gutierrez
Hastings (FL)
Johnson (IL)
Kennedy
Kirk
LaHood
Lampson
Lantos
Linder
Lucas
Lynch
Meeks (NY)
Murphy, Tim
Neal (MA)
Peterson (PA)
Platts
Poe
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Radanovich
Renzi
Rush
Shays
Shimkus
Terry
Thornberry
Westmoreland

So what does the text of the resolution say?

Whereas the family, serving as the primary source of love, identity, self-esteem, and support, is the very foundation of our communities, and our United States;

Whereas foster families, who open their homes and hearts to children whose families are in crisis, play a vital role in helping children heal and reconnect and in launching those children into successful adulthood;

Whereas over 500,000 youth are in foster care with at least 380,000 in a family-home setting;

Whereas numerous individuals and public and private organizations work to increase public awareness of the needs of children in foster care and leaving foster care as well as of the enduring and valuable contributions of foster parents; and

Whereas those families who are able to serve a role as foster parents should be wholeheartedly encouraged to do so: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--

(1) a National Foster Parents Day should be established to recognize the contributions of foster parents across the Nation; and

(2) the President should issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States and interested groups to conduct appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate support for foster parents across the Nation.

Petition Drive Started

Since 1990, D. Kevin Surbaugh, of Topeka, KS has been trying to get a National Foster Parents Day instituted.

We the undersigned hear by request that the members of Congress vote on HR 179.
Further we request the President of the United States of America honor Foster Parents across this great nation with a day of honor (possibly the 4th Sunday of May) for their great sacrifice in providing homes to these children in need of a warm and caring place.
A day of honor for those families who open their homes and hearts to children whose families are in crisis, play a vital role in helping children heal and in launching those children into successful adulthood.
A day of honor that would work to increase public awareness of the needs of the 500,000 children in foster care.
A day of honor for those families who are able to serve a role as foster parents should be wholeheartedly encouraged to do so.
This petition will be mailed to members of Congress on July 1, 2007. If you support a simple day of honor for foster parents, please add your signature at this link.

National Foster Parents Day A Possibility?

For 17 years, I have been seeking a National Foster Parents Day. Seventeen long years of various members of Congress, in both parties who were apathetic of a simple day of honor.

A day of honor for those families who open their homes and hearts to children whose families are in crisis, play a vital role in helping children heal and in launching those children into successful adulthood.
A day of honor that would work to increase public awareness of the needs of the 500,000 children in foster care.
A day of honor for those families who are able to serve a role as foster parents should be wholeheartedly encouraged to do so.

In a letter sent to me by Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, I learned that unlike the unanimous support I had in the state legislature, there is some reluctance among members of Congress to create new holidays or designate special dates.

I am surprised, even though I shouldn't be considering that I personally contacted several of the Congressmen of my district (2ND district of Kansas) and have had various degrees of out right No's to lukewarm maybes. I can say the one previous Democrat that I talked to in this District was the one out right no. When I lived in Chicago and I contacted my Democratic Congressman there, he never replied.

This resolution #179 was sponsored by Rep. Nancy Boyda [D-KS] and co-sponsored by these 8 members of congress:

• Rep. Dennis Cardoza [D-CA]
• Rep. Jim Cooper [D-TN]
• Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D-CT]
• Rep. Wayne Gilchrest [R-MD]
• Rep. Mark Kirk [R-IL]
• Rep. James McDermott [D-WA]
• Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald [D-CA]
• Rep. Dennis Moore [D-KS]

The resolution was then referred to the House Oversight and Government Reform committee. Members of this committee will be charged with the task to vote on this resolution and making their recommendations to the full house.

Petition now Online!