Kinship (relative) foster homes are approved according to the above criteria to provide foster care for a specific child by a relative within the second or third degree to the parent(s) or stepparent(s) of the child.
A relative within the second or third degree to the parent(s) or stepparent(s) of a child refers to those relatives who are related to the parent(s) or stepparent(s) through blood or marriage either in the first, second, or third degree in the kinship line. A relative within the second or third degree of a parent includes the following:
Grandparents of the child.
Great-grandparents of the child.
Aunts and uncles of the child, including the spouses of the aunts or uncles.
Siblings of the child.
Great-aunts and great-uncles of the child, including the spouses of the great-aunts or great-uncles.
First cousins of the child, including the spouses of the great aunts or great uncles.
Great-great grandparents of the child.
An unrelated person where placement with such person allows half-siblings to remain together in an unapproved foster home, and the parents or stepparents of one of the half- siblings is related to such person in the second or third degree.
Child welfare agencies increasingly are turning to kinship care for children in need of out-of- home placements. Kinship care can be an effective alternative to foster care, providing numerous benefits for the child and family and reducing the growing need for foster care and adoptive homes. In recognition of these potential benefits, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 encouraged states to consider kinship care as an option when placing a child outside the home. In addition, the 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) gave states additional flexibility to use kinship care under certain circumstances.
Financial support provided to kinship care families varies depending upon the relationship of that family with the child welfare system, as well as upon the federal funding stream used by the state to provide the support. Kinship care families in all states are eligible for a foster care payment, if they meet a state-specified foster care standard. In some States, kinship care families may be eligible for TANF assistance. Under TANF, states may provide cash assistance solely to the child receiving care and avoid imposing burdensome work, time limits, and child support participation requirements on the relative caretakers. However, the level of assistance provided through these "child-only" grants is significantly lower than TANF assistance for the entire family unit. Federal, state and local policymakers continue to explore and identify alternative sources of financial support for kin caregivers.
