Edgewood Celebrates Grandparent's Week by Supporting Kinship Bill
September 1, 2007
This Grandparent's Week, September 9-15, Edgewood Center for Children and Families is urging family advocates to celebrate by asking their representatives in Congress to sponsor the Kinship Caregiver Support Act (S. 985), and the Guardian Assistance Promotion and Kinship Support Act (H.R. 3380).
Edgewood has partnered with many other organizations to help pass Kinship legislation that provides additional support for those who provide safe and caring homes for children who are not able to live with their parents. Edgewood is calling on all advocates and friends of children to reach out to their Senators and Representatives during Grandparent's Week, and especially on Grandparent's Day, September 9.
Advocates can take action at Edgewood.org (click here to support grandparents now) or call toll free at 1-888-233-1221 to be connected to the Capitol Hill switchboard. Callers can ask to be transferred to the offices of their Members of Congress. Talking points are available on Edgewood.org.
To learn who your representatives are, go to the bottom of our advocacy homepage and enter your zip code.
The legislation affirms the importance of non-parental caregivers in the lives of abused and neglected children. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Tim Johnson (D-SD) are the initial sponsors of the Kinship Caregiver Support Act (S. 985) in the Senate, and Representative Danny Davis (D-IL) has introduced H.R. 3380, the Guardian Assistance Promotion and Kinship Support Act, in the House. These bills would assist the millions of children being raised by relatives and other caregivers because their parents are not able to care for them.
Both bills would allow states, for the first time, to use federal Title IV-E foster care funds to help provide subsidized guardianship assistance payments to relatives so that the children they care for will not have to remain in foster care. H.R 3380 would also extend this support to non-relatives serving as guardians.
These bills also provide supports to states and large metropolitan areas to establish kinship navigator programs, which would help grandparents and other relatives obtain information and referral services and other supports to meet the needs of the children they are raising. Grants also facilitate effective community-based partnerships between public and private nonprofit and faith-based agencies. These partnerships would bring together resources and support from a range of agencies that currently address the needs of children, youth, and the elderly.
The legislation also requires states to notify relatives when children enter foster care within 60 days of a child's removal from custody. Notice must be provided to all adult grandparents and other adult relatives, including relatives suggested by the parent(s). Exceptions can be made to this requirement in cases of family or domestic violence.
Click for more information on the Kinship Caregiver Support Act and the Guardian Assistance Promotion and Kinship Support Act.
|
