Generations United resource explaining the impact of HR 9076- Supporting America's Children and Families Act on kinship families. This bill was signed into law at the start of 2025, and makes updates to the Title IV-B program, including increasing funding; requiring states to consult with people with lived experience, including kinship caregivers and youth; clarifying that Title IV-B funds can be used for kinship families and peer-to-peer support programs, and changing how kinship navigator programs are funded.

A collective advocacy tool created by Generations United, the ABA Center on Children and the Law, and Think of Us to guide our future work to support kinship families. The action agenda identifies and prioritizes key policy opportunities to support kinship families. It was created through a convening of national advocates, featuring professionals with diverse perspectives and individuals with lived experience in grandfamilies/kinship families, and incorporates feedback from the broader advocacy community, grandfamilies services providers, and focus groups with kinship caregivers from varied backgrounds.

As the children in their care enter their senior year of high school, kin/grandfamily caregivers will be thinking about what comes next, including, potentially, higher education and how to pay for it. Here’s what they need to know

Finalized kin-specific licensing or approval standards, guidance and template forms for kinship foster family homes developed by national organizations with input from kin caregivers, subject matter experts, and at least 45 title IV-E agencies. These Kin-Specific Foster Home Approval Standards respect the unique circumstances of kin caregivers, removing historic barriers and striving to make the approval process more flexible for kin caregivers.

 -- For sample template forms please visit this page. 

 -- Visit this page in Spanish

Download the presentation 

View the webinar recording

View the October 11, 2023 webinar which provided an overview of the new federal rule allowing all title IV-E child welfare agencies to adopt kin-specific foster care licensing standards, thus allowing more children to be cared for by financially supported kin they know and love. The webinar rolled out a new national set of recommendations and featured national kinship experts as well as state child welfare leaders in support of the rule change.