SB 286 — AN ACT INCREASING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR GRANDPARENTS AND OTHER NONPARENT RELATIVES RAISING CERTAIN CHILDREN.

Senate General Assembly RaisedFile Bill No.

28649 February Session, 2026 LCOSenate Bill No.

1460286 ReferredSenate, toMarch 17, 2026 The Committee on AGINGAging Introducedreported by:through SEN.

(AGE)HOCHADEL ANof ACTthe INCREASING13th FINANCIALDist., ASSISTANCEChairperson FORof GRANDPARENTSthe ANDCommittee OTHERon NONPARENTthe RELATIVESpart RAISINGof CERTAINthe CHILDREN.Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT INCREASING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR GRANDPARENTS AND OTHER NONPARENT RELATIVES RAISING CERTAIN CHILDREN.

The Commissioner of Social Services may operate portions of the temporary family assistance program as a solely state-funded program, separate from the federal temporary assistance for needy families program, if the commissioner determines that doing so will enable the state to avoid fiscal penalties under the temporary assistance for needy familiesSB286 program./ File No.

Families49 receiving assistance under the solely state- LCO 1460 1 ofSB286 3File Raised Bill No.

28649 funded portion of the temporary family assistance program shall be subject to the same conditions of eligibility as those receiving assistance under the federal temporary assistance for needy families program.

Families receiving assistance under the solely state- funded portion of the temporary family assistance program shall be subject to the same conditions of eligibility as those receiving assistance under the federal temporary assistance for needy families program.

(2) To the extent permissible under federal law, the payment standard for a family that receives benefits under the temporary family LCOSB286 1460/ 2File of 3 Raised Bill No.

28649 assistance2 program,SB286 andFile inNo. which the head of the household is a nonparent caretaker relative and the legal guardian of a child, shall be equal to the prevailing monthly foster care rate per child, based on the child's age and medical condition, paid by the Department of Children and Families.

49 assistance program, and in which the head of the household is a nonparent caretaker relative and the legal guardian of a child, shall be equal to the prevailing monthly foster care rate per child, based on the child's age and medical condition, paid by the Department of Children and Families.

Section 1 July 1, 2026 17b-112(a) AGE Joint Favorable LCOSB286 1460/ 3File ofNo. 3

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49 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Social Services, Dept.

GF - Cost At least 6.6 At least 7.1 million million Note:

GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill will result in a cost of at least $6.6 million in FY 27 and $7.1 million in FY 28 to the Department of Social Services' (DSS) Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program.

The bill increases the payment standard for households headed by a nonparent caretaker relative with legal guardianship to match prevailing monthly foster care rates, based on the child’s age and medical condition.

The bill does not specify which foster care reimbursement category will be used to set the TFA payment standard.

Based on projected average monthly foster care rates of $877 for FY 27 and $903 for FY 28, the bill is expected to increase DSS annual costs by at least $6.6 million and $7.1 million, respectively.

Current average monthly TFA rates for family units range from $525 for a family with one child to an average of $893 for a family with three or more children.

The cost to the state will be more for children with higher needs and associated services.

For context, the average monthly foster care rate for a child with medically complex needs is SB286 / File No.

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49 approximately $1,657.

The actual cost will depend on:

(1) the number of individuals impacted and (2) the foster care rate used as the basis for the TFA payment.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to:

(1) the number of individuals impacted and (2) the foster care rate used as the basis for the TFA payment.

Sources:Department of Children and Families Foster Care Rates Department of Social Services Caseload Data SB286 / File No.

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49 OLR Bill Analysis SB 286 AN ACT INCREASING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR GRANDPARENTS AND OTHER NONPARENT RELATIVES RAISING CERTAIN CHILDREN.

SUMMARY To the extent allowed by federal law, this bill increases the temporary family assistance (TFA) payment to families with a head of household who is (1) a nonparent caretaker relative (e.g., grandparent) and (2) the legal guardian of a child.

It does this by making the TFA payment equal to the prevailing monthly foster care rate for families based on the child’s age and medical condition.

Generally, nonparent caretaker relatives may qualify for financial assistance through the departments of children and families (DCF) or social services (DSS).