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119-hr-5583119th CongressWALLET

Promoting Permanency Through Kinship Families Act

Sponsored By: Representative Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]

Introduced

Summary

kinship care as a top permanency pathway. This bill would push states to prioritize relatives and fictive kin in placement and permanency planning and to back kin caregivers with new supports and clearer rules.

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  • Children and families: States would have to make and document prompt, active, and continuous efforts to identify, locate, and involve relatives or fictive kin in placement and case planning. The bill would require clear and convincing documentation when kinship is not used and prohibit using age 18 as an automatic disqualifier for kinship caregivers.
  • Kin caregivers and supports: The Promoting Safe and Stable Families program would explicitly add kinship placement support services, including crisis stabilization services, case management, and a kinship placement crisis stabilization fund for direct cash to caregivers. States must keep spending on kinship placements at or above their 2025 level beginning in fiscal year 2026.
  • Program rules and checks: Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program participation would be mandatory and eligibility lowered from 6 months to 3 months. The bill would remove the AFDC eligibility test for certain foster care maintenance payments and require that past criminal records not automatically bar kin placements absent particularized safety concerns, while expanding checks and state reporting requirements.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Faster required help for kin guardians

This bill would require every state to offer the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program. A child could qualify after 3 months living with the prospective guardian, instead of 6 months. This could let kin caregivers get help sooner and in states that do not offer it today.

Foster payments for kin placements

If enacted, states would have to pay foster care maintenance for children placed with relatives or caretakers, without the old AFDC test. This would start on the first day of the first fiscal year after enactment. It would apply even if the placement happened before enactment, as long as federal removal and placement rules are met.

Fairer checks for kin caregivers

States would not be able to deny kinship placement only because of past allegations or records unless there is current safety risk. States would need to run criminal checks on the caregiver and other adults in the home before payments, or report and justify any alternative checks. Past records could not automatically block licensing. Turning 18 would not automatically disqualify a relative from being a kinship caregiver.

New kinship support and crisis cash

The bill would add kinship placement support services to a federal program. States could offer family finding, family group decision-making, help to strengthen kinship homes, and help to get licensed if asked. A crisis fund could give short-term cash for a child’s immediate needs to start or stabilize a kin placement. Starting in FY2026, states would need to keep kinship spending at or above FY2025 levels.

States must find and support relatives

States would need to actively look for relatives or fictive kin for visits and for possible placement. They would have to document with clear and convincing evidence if kin placement is not in the child’s best interest or if searches would be futile. Case plans for children in kinship homes would need to show efforts to keep the child there when safe. Agencies would also need clear data showing they address disproportionality and service access gaps.

Faster adoptions with key safeguards

In some cases, a state could seek to change or end parental rights and also find an adoptive family at the same time, if clear and convincing evidence shows it is best for the child. The state would have to offer services and time for reunification first and document a kin caregiver’s views when the child lives with kin. The state could not file if a parent is actively doing services, or if the move is mainly due to incarceration, DHS detention, or deportation under the 24‑month rule.

Tribal character checks stay unchanged

This bill would not change tribal rules for character checks of relatives. Existing protections under current law would remain in place.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]

    WI • D

    Sponsored 9/26/2025

  • Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 9/26/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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