Legislation Provides Support To Families And Children In The Foster Care System
Legislation Provides Support To Families And Children In The Foster Care System
By Tia Carol Jones
The Illinois General Assembly recently passed House Bill 4781, The Kinship In Demand (KIND) Act. The legislation implements a kin-first approach to the way the Department of Children and Family Services places and supports children within its system.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union Illinois (ACLU-IL), the KIND Act “provides equitable supports for kinship care and guardianship benefits to improve outcomes for DCFS-involved youth in relative care, as well as increase the capacity of relatives to become caregivers delivering permanency for more youth.”
The KIND Act was sponsored by Illinois State Representative Marcus Evans, Jr. D-Dist. 33. Evans said he was led to sponsor the legislation when he connected with members of the ACLU-IL. There were meetings with stakeholders and the Cook County Guardian and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). A year later, they found a path and a solution to try and improve outcomes for DCFS.
“We want kids who are in the care of DCFS to have a permanent home. We need better strategies. We see this bill as giving DCFS more tools,” he said.
While each child’s situation is different, the goal of the legislation is to ensure that the outcome is what is best for the child. Evans said his dream is that no child would be in DCFS care and that all children would be adopted and in a safe home, or with a family member in a safe home.
Prior to the passing of the KIND Act, monetary assistance was not provided to family members who care for children who were in the foster care system. The new legislation provides foster care maintenance payments for relatives who qualify for certification as a kinship caregiver home, with Guardianship Assistance Program payments and services for relative caregivers.
“So, it puts them in a loving environment and the family members can receive funds and are able to care for this child, without causing financial strain,” he said.
Evans said this legislation is important because children should be placed in the best situations that can help them succeed. The legislation is a tool to enable family members to have the resources to care for these children. He said when children are cared for and educated, they become a benefit to society.
Evans said he believes other elected officials co-sponsored the legislation because they knew the value, importance and benefit of having a family stay unified. He said it is a strong tool that is going to help families and children in the foster care system.
In a statement, ACLU-IL, said, “We applaud the General Assembly for passing legislation that will improve life for youth under the care of DCFS. Rather than simply decrying problems in our child welfare system, the KIND Act reflects positive changes that can be made when advocates, legislators and the Department work together to create good policy.
The KIND Act recognizes the decidedly positive role relatives play in the lives of children whose lives have been disrupted. Providing the same resources for family members to care for the child made available to foster parents who may well be strangers. 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, results in higher placement satisfaction for youth in care, and delivers better social, behavioral, mental health, and educational outcomes for youth than when they are placed in non-kin foster care.
We thank Senator Mattie Hunter and Representative Marcus Evans for their leadership in securing passage of the KIND Act. We encourage Governor Pritzker to sign the bill into law as soon as possible.”
Evans said that once the legislation is signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker, it will become an official law. He said DCFS will communicate with families to let them know kinship placement is a viable option and from there, people will start to see incremental changes in the way DCFS places children over time.
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