On March 8th, 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report on Kinship Navigator programs titled, “HHS Is Taking Steps to Help States Support Relative Caregivers with Evidence-Based Programs.” This report was requested in 2019 by then-Chairman of the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Danny Davis (D-IL) and then-Ranking Member late-Representative Jackie Walorski
On February 14th, 2023, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register (88 FR 9411) proposing to amend federal regulations to allow title IV-E agencies to adopt separate licensing or approval standards for relative or kinship foster family homes. “The Administration for Children and Families
On Wednesday, December 13th, 2022, Representatives Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) and Danny Davis (D-IL), Chair of the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee on Ways and Means, introduced the Fostering Secure Family Partnerships Act, a bill to increase federal funding for state Kinship Navigator Programs — which provide caregivers with information, education, and referrals to a wide
On Tuesday, November 15th, the Children’s Bureau Learning and Coordination Center held a webinar titled “Supporting Children and Youth Dealing with the Loss of a Parent or Caregiver” hosted by Nilofer Ashan. Irwin Sandler, PhD with Resilient Parenting for Bereaved Children discussed that child bereavement is a bigger problem than most people realize. According to
On November 2nd, 2022, Generations United released its 2022 State of Grandfamilies Report, titled, “Together at the Table: Supporting the Nutrition, Health, and Well-Being of Grandfamilies.” Created in collaboration with the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), this year’s report takes a deeper look at food insecurity and the lack of supports among intergenerational kinship
On Tuesday, September 20, 2022 the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network hosted a webinar titled Family Dynamics in Kinship Families: Implications for Services and Programs. Dr. Joseph Crumbley, now retired, spent 38 years practicing social work as a family therapist, consultant, author, and trainer, specializing in adoption, foster care, and kinship care. During the webinar,
Kinship care is an important component in meeting the needs of families involved in the child welfare system, helping to maintain familial and cultural connections and promote stability, permanency, and the well-being of children in need of out-of-home placement. On Wednesday, September 7, 2022 the Capacity Building Center for States hosted a webinar spotlighting kinship
In honor of National Foster Care Month, the Capacity Building Center for States hosted “Creating Partnership in Kinship Treatment Foster Care” on Wednesday, May 25th, 2022 to take a look into a Kinship Treatment Foster Care (KTFC) pilot program in North Carolina and research from the African American Families and Kinship Care Lab at the
On May 4th, in an op-ed for Fox News, Representative Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and former First Lady Melania Trump highlighted National Foster Care Month, calling on Americans to support families and give older youth in foster care the tools they need to thrive as they transition to independence. They noted legislation that increased support for
“National Foster Care Month is an initiative of the Children's Bureau. Each May, we take time to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections. We use this time to renew our commitment
