US: New Proposed Rule Changing the Foster Care Licensing Regulation Supports Keeping Families Safely Together through Kinship Care (Commentary) (Includes audio)
Unites States Administration for Children and Families – February 14, 2023
When parents are unable to safely care for their own children, it is often grandparents, other family members, or kin who step forward to provide a loving home for those children, either temporarily or permanently. When children cannot remain safely with their parents, placement with kin is preferred over placement in foster care with nonrelatives. A government report estimated that more than 2 million children across America live with kin caregivers. Because we know children who need care do best with their own families, ACF is proposing a new rule that would allow child welfare agencies to adopt one set of licensing standards for family members and kin that acknowledges the kinship relationship and differs from the licensing standards used for non-relative foster family homes. Currently, all foster family homes must meet the same licensing standards, regardless of whether the foster family home is a family member or kin, or a non-kin placement. This new proposed rule would allow a child welfare agency to adopt different licensing standards for all relative and kinship foster family homes to lessen delays and barriers in the kinship foster family licensing process and open up financial resources for those family caregivers.
Also: Separate Licensing Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes (Press release): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/14/2023-03005/separate-licensing-standards-for-relative-or-kinship-foster-family-homes
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2023/02/new-proposed-rule-changing-foster-care-licensing-regulation-supports-keeping-families