Relatives as guardians

In most states, relatives and others who become permanent, legal guardians for a child in foster care lose federal financial assistance and services once the child exits foster care (as opposed to most foster placements and many adoptions, which receive federal support).  Although some relatives decide to adopt their kin, adoption is not the right choice for others. For example, it may not be appropriate to terminate parental rights for a parent with significant disabilities who physically cannot parent, but wants to remain in the lives of the children who love her. Or an older youth who maintains close ties with his or her birth parents may not want those parental rights terminated.  An estimated 15,000 children living in long-term arrangements with relatives today could leave foster care if federal foster care funds could be used to support guardianship. 

Relevant Legislation:

• The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (H.R. 6893)
• The Kinship Caregiver Support Act (S. 661/ H.R. 2188)
• The Fostering Connections to Success Act (H.R. 6307)
• The Improved Adoption Incentives and Relative Guardianship Support Act of 2008 (S. 3038)

Fact Sheets:

• Fact sheet about guardianship (Generations United)
• State by State Subsidized Guardianship Fact Sheets for California, Connecticut, Iowa, Lousiana, New York and Ohio (Generations United)

Reports & Policy Briefs: 

• Strengthening Families Through Guardianship: Kids Are Waiting policy brief
• Time For Reform: Support Relatives in Providing Foster Care and Permanent Families For Children
• All Children Deserve a Permanent Home: Subsidized Guardianship as a Common Sense Solution for Children in Long-Term Relative Foster Care (Generations United)
• Partnering to Promote Guardianship: The Federal Outlook (CLASP, Rutledge Q. Hutson)
• Meth & Child Welfare: Promising Solutions for Children, Their Parents & Grandparents (Generations United)
• Families Ties (Fostering Results)
• Every Child Deserves a Permanent Family: Subsidized Guardianship as Common Sense Solution for Children in Long Term Relative Foster Care-With New Data on Latino Foster Children (Generations United 2007)
• Todo Nino Merece una Familia Permanente: La Custodia Subvencionada Como Solucion Pratica Para Los Ninos Vivendo a Largo Plazo en Hogares de Crianza de Parientes ( Generations United 2007)

Advocacy Support:

• Advocates support the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act

Additional Information: 

• Five reasons Congress should act... today
• Letter of Support for Guardianship from more than 375 national and state organizations
• FAQs about subsidized guardianship and the Pew Commission's recommendations

Photo courtesey of Generations United, Tina Light, photographer.