Thank you, Kinship Caregivers!
It’s Kinship Caregiver Month, a time to especially honor those who step in to care for children when they need them most. In addition to our applause, let’s also give them policies that support the success of their families.
This year, The Annie E. Casey Foundation has shared information from a new survey of state policies. The report notes that 50% or more of children in foster care were in kinship placements in Arizona, Hawaii, and West Virginia. That makes Arizona one of the top three states in the country for kinship care placement. This is an important advancement for children and families in Arizona.
Our state now has the opportunity and responsibility to keep moving forward in our support of kinship caregivers.
We agree with the report that there are many ways to create equitable support for caregivers, primarily through these three actions:
- Reduce barriers to licensing and adopt kin-specific licensing standards so that more grandparents and family can step in when needed;
- Provide equitable financial support for every child in the custody of the Department of Child Safety, regardless of caregiver licensure status so a grandparent receives the same level of support as all foster care parents, and
- Recognize many children are being cared for by unlicensed kinshipcaregivers, and provide financial assistance and support for these caregivers, including restoring Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) who are being raised by their grandparents and other family members outside of the foster care system.
Let’s give our thanks to kinship caregivers and keep moving forward. Learn more about the solutions and research provided by The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
