On September 28, 2023, the U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued a final rule that explicitly gives all Title IV-E child welfare agencies the option to use kin-specific foster care licensing or approval standards and encourages them to limit those standards to federal safety requirements. This change will allow more children to be cared for by those they know and love and be financially supported like children with non-kin foster parents.
The rule is a significant move forward for thousands of children who are placed with kin in foster care and yet do not receive monthly financial assistance to meet their needs. These children, who are disproportionally Black, Indigenous, and/or in underserved rural areas, do not receive this support simply because their kin are not licensed or approved according to the set of standards developed for non-kin foster parents.