We urge you to contact your Members of Congress today and encourage them to provide federal funding to support guardianship placements!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a member of your constituency, I urge you to co-sponsor and support the Kinship Caregiver Support Act in the U.S. Senate (S. 661).

Kinship care is a situation in which an adult family member, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other relative, provides a caring home for a child who is not able to live with his or her parents. Subsidized guardianship is another important permanency option for relatives who care for children. The number of states implementing guardianship programs reflects growing national interest in the use of guardianship as an alternative permanency option for some children in foster care, particularly for children who are placed with relatives, who cannot be safely reunified with birth parents, and who cannot, or do not, wish to be adopted.

Kinship care and subsidized guardianship programs allow qualified relatives or qualified non-relatives to step in and provide care they may not have been able to provide otherwise because of the financial burdens such a role requires. Additionally, these relative placements may offer an emotional and cultural benefit to children who cannot return safely to their parents and for whom adoption is not an appropriate option.

The Adoption and Safe Families Act, enacted in 1997, recognizes placement with a relative or a legal guardian as a permanency option for children in foster care; however, the federal government makes no funds available on a continuing basis to help those relatives care for the children.

Legislation enacted by the 109th Congress negatively impacted the limited supports for state programs that assist grandparents and other relatives caring for children. In February 2006, Congress passed the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act (P.L. 109-171), which included nearly $600 million in cuts to federal foster care assistance for abused and neglected children being cared for by grandparents and other relatives. The Act repealed the 2003 Rosales v. Thompson 9th Circuit judicial ruling that extended Title IV-E foster care eligibility to some children being cared for by grandparents and other relatives. P.L. 109-171 cut federal spending on Title IV-E foster care by $397 million over five years and $879 million over 10 years.

Federal legislation for kinship and guardianship was introduced in both the Senate and the House in the last Congress. The legislation in the Senate and House differed somewhat, but both extended Title IV-E funding for grandparents, relatives, and guardians caring for children. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced the Kinship Caregiver Support Act (S. 985) in 2005, and they have again in 2006 (S. 661). This bipartisan legislation creates first-time federal support for children living with relatives in guardianship placements. The bill would also establish a Kinship Navigator Program, and ensure notice to relatives when children enter foster care.

Representative Danny Davis (D-IL) introduced the Guardianship Assistance Promotion and Kinship Support Act (H.R. 3380) in 2005, which also provides federal support for children living with guardians. Specifically, this bill provides support for both relative and non-relative guardianship placements.

These supports help relative caregivers providing for children who have been in foster care for at least 12 months and whose care is paid for in part with federal Title IV-E Foster Care funds. The House bill would also extend this assistance to non-relative guardians. In all instances, the aim is to place the child in the safest and most emotionally appropriate environment as possible.

Again, I urge you to co-sponsor and support the Kinship Caregiver Support Act in the Senate.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
February 24, 2007