NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A proposed federal law could make it easier for people to foster children related to them.
According to the Grand-Families and Kinship Support Network, more than one-third of kids in foster care across the country are already living with a grandparent or other relative. More than 2.7 million kids are living with relatives outside of the foster-care system.
Many children are living with relatives before they are licensed for foster care, meaning they are not getting monthly support payments.
Right now, every state has different laws on this. In Tennessee, 189,936 children are living in a relative's home, but only 1,052 of those children are officially under foster care. Tennessee has the "Kinship Foster Care Program" which means the department of children's services tries to place a child with a relative first for care. The relative has to be approved by the department before getting payments to help.
This proposed federal law though would simplify the approval process on this by making separate standards for family members versus non-relative foster parents, that way they receive financial support easier and faster.
Advocates for the bill say keeping children connected to family has a lot of benefits, like staying connected to their roots and community and better behavioral and mental health outcomes.
You can comment on this proposal until April 17 here on the Federal Register website.
