HR 8555 — Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act

Summary

To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to provide for better protections for children raised in kinship families outside of the foster care system.

Bill Text

• Introduced Introduced in House Current html May 23, 2024

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to improve protections and support for children raised in kinship families outside of the foster care system.

• 42 U.S.C. 5102(c)

  14) → 14); and (15) organizations providing services to kinship families; and (16) birth parents, kinship caregivers, and foster care alumni.

  This change adds new categories of representation to the advisory board for organizations that work with kinship families and includes birth parents and foster care alumni.

• 42 U.S.C. 5104(b)

  9) → 9); and (10) coordinate with the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center to disseminate information about evidence-based, evidence-informed and exemplary practices used to support children being raised in kinship families within, or outside of, the child welfare system.

  This change expands the functions of the national clearinghouse to include coordination with a network specifically focused on kinship families.

• 42 U.S.C. 5106(a)(4)

  Such procedures used by recipients of a grant pursuant to this paragraph shall reflect equity for children placed with kin, recognize their unique circumstance, and include plans for prioritizing placement with kin as the first placement, identifying and engaging kin as supports for children throughout the child's involvement with the child welfare system, making it a priority to license kin as foster parents, supporting permanent families for children placed with kin, and creating a strong community network to support kin families.

  This addition mandates that grant procedures must prioritize kinship placements and support kin families in the child welfare system.

• 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(B)(iv)

  , and for how kinship placements will be prioritized

  This change requires states to indicate how they will prioritize kinship placements in their grant applications.

• 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(D)(v)

  kinship navigators,

  This addition includes kinship navigators as a support resource in the list of services to coordinate with substance abuse treatment agencies.

• 42 U.S.C. 5106a(d)(3)

  subparagraphs (B) and (C) → subparagraphs (C) and (D)

  This change reorganizes the existing subparagraphs for clarity.

• 42 U.S.C. 5106a(d)(3)(A)

  the number that did not receive services during the year under the State program funded under this section or an equivalent State program because the child was diverted from the child welfare system to live with kin outside of the foster care system;

  This addition requires states to report on children who did not receive services as they were placed with kin outside the foster care system.

• 42 U.S.C. 5116(b)(1)

  support the unique needs of kinship families raising children inside or outside the foster care system;

  This change adds a new purpose to support the unique needs of kinship families in grant programs.

• 42 U.S.C. 5116e(a)(2)

  and to parents who are adult former victims of domestic violence or child abuse or neglect → to parents who are adult former victims of domestic violence or child abuse or neglect, and to families where children are being raised by kin because their parents cannot raise them

  This change expands the target population for support to include families with children raised by kin.

• 42 U.S.C. 5116e(a)(3)(B)

  and → and

  This change updates the nomenclature of community programs to include specific training for kinship caregivers.

• 42 U.S.C. 5116e(a)(4)

  families → parents

  This change clarifies that support resources are directed towards parents and not broadly defined families.

Action History

1. May 23, 2024

   Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

2. May 23, 2024

   Introduced in House

Sponsors

• Mary Gay Scanlon · Primary

Subjects