GOOD NEWS! In the midst of the chaotic and dysfunctional budgeting process at the end of the year the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 9076, the Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act, also known as the Supporting America's Children and Families Act, by unanimous consent! It was previously passed by the House. It now goes to President Biden for his signature into law.
H.R. 9076 reauthorizes and updates Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, a critical child welfare law, through 2029. It includes key provisions that support kinship/grandfamilies by:
- Providing $10 million per year in consistent funding for Kinship Navigator Programs through a competitive grant program, which will be open to nonprofits and community-based organizations in addition to state and local government agencies;
- Clarifying that Title IV-B funds can be used for kinship families and peer-to-peer support programs;
- Requiring states to include people with lived experience, including kinship caregivers and youth, in shaping child welfare plans; and
- Increasing Title IV-B funding by $75 million annually to $420,000,000 annually.
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