# 119-hr-9878: Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act

119-hr-9878, Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9878
- As of: 2026-09-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-9878
- Congress: 119
- Title: Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-07-22
- Sponsor: Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Families
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-30

## Summary

**Kinship families** would get new, focused protections and supports under the Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act. This bill would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to add kinship-focused advisory board seats, create coordinated national technical assistance, and change grant rules to prioritize and support children placed with relatives. - Kinship families and children would gain targeted supports and recognition in CAPTA programs. The bill cites more than 2.4 million children being raised by relatives or close family friends and stresses prioritizing placement with kin. - System changes would add advisory board seats for organizations serving kinship families and for birth parents, kinship caregivers, and foster care alumni. Grants would push kin licensing, fund kinship navigators, and require caregiver training on behavioral and mental health, trauma, and substance use disorders. - States, tribes, and agencies seeking CAPTA grants would need plans that prioritize kin placement and build community networks to support kin families. Programs must report how many children diverted to live with kin outside foster care did not receive services.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15] (R-PA), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI), 2026-08-13T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More help for kin caregivers: benefit, low. If enacted, this bill would make community prevention grants serve kinship families and list kin caregivers and foster care alumni as eligible. It would require local programs to offer kin-specific training on child behavior, mental health, substance use disorders, and trauma. It would require gran…
- Kinship voices on federal boards: benefit, low. If enacted, this bill would add organizations serving kinship families and seats for birth parents, kinship caregivers, and foster care alumni to the federal Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect. It would also direct the CAPTA National Clearinghouse to work with the Grandfamilies & Kinship Sup…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7567: Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026
- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-9401: Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-hr-9878 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9878)

## Related
- [119-hr-7567: Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7567)
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-9401: Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9401)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9878 (as of 2026-09-30).