Governor JB Pritzker signed the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act, making it easier for relatives to care for children in the Illinois child welfare system. The law aims to provide financial support, flexible certification, and resources for relatives caring for children in DCFS custody, promoting stability and family connections.
Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill into law on Wednesday that streamlines the process for grandparents and other relatives to assume guardianship of children within the state's child welfare system. The new law, known as the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act, also establishes a pathway for more children in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services ( DCFS ) to find permanent homes through guardianship.
Approximately 9,300 children and youth within the DCFS system are residing with distant relatives, but many lack the same benefits as licensed foster caregivers due to outdated requirements, according to Pritzker's office. Licensed caregivers are foster parents who have fulfilled DCFS requirements and obtained a license to care for a child or youth in DCFS custody. The KIND Act aims to increase financial support for distant relatives caring for these children.The new law empowers DCFS to establish a more flexible certification process while upholding essential safety and welfare standards, as stated by the governor's office. DCFS is currently developing rules outlining the standards for relative caregivers and anticipates adopting them in the coming months. Specifically, the law will: * Allow DCFS to establish a more flexible certification process for relatives who want to care for children in the system. * Increase financial support for relatives caring for children in the system. * Provide greater access to training and resources for relatives caring for children in the system. Governor Pritzker praised the passage of the law, emphasizing that keeping children with family members offers stability and comfort. 'Staying in a familiar place and seeing a comforting face every day can make all the difference in the life of a child-in-care,' he said in a statement. 'The KIND Act enhances family finding efforts to ensure we are doing everything we can to identify relatives who can care for and maintain ongoing, supportive connections with our youth. Just as importantly, it holds us accountable to incorporate the voices of youth and families in decisions that have a lasting impact on their lives.'Nora Collins-Mandeville, the director of systems reform policy at the ACLU of Illinois, lauded the provision of resources for relatives, stating that it is sound policy for the state's children. 'The KIND Act reflects a simple reality – children whose lives have been disrupted need stability and love wherever and whenever possible,' she said in a statement. 'We know that placing youth in the child welfare system with relatives lessens the trauma associated with family separation, reduces the number of times a child is moved, enhances permanency options if youth cannot be reunified and results in higher placement satisfaction for youth in care.
Kinship Care Child Welfare DCFS Illinois Relative Guardianship Family Support
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