Current Supportive Federal Policies

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Current Supportive Federal Policies
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Authorization vs. Appropriations
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LEGACY

• Living Equitably- Grandparents Aiding Children
  Youth
• Signed into law in December 2003
• 10 million for demonstrations
• Training for HUD staff
• Study of housing needs of relative caregivers

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LEGACY

• 4 million authorized for intergenerational
  housing demonstrations
• Notice of Funding Application expected this Fall
• GU held May training for staff
• Study to be released soon
• Action- Sign up for GU legislative alerts for
  more information

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National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)

• Information for caregivers about available
  services
• Assistance to caregivers in gaining access to
  services
• Organization of support groups and caregiver
  training
• Respite care
• Supplemental services to complement care provided
  by caregivers

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National Family Caregiver Support Program

• Since 2000 has served grandfamilies where
  caregiver is 60 years or older
• Because of age only 29 grandparents raising
  grandchildren were eligible
• Availability varies by state
• State Fact Sheets www.gu.org

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Older American Act Reauthorized

• September 30, 2006 OAA reauthorized
• Lowered the age limit for grandparents and other
  relative raising children to 55
• Now nearly half of grandparent raising
  grandchildren are eligible.
• Allows older people caring for an adult child or
  relative with a disability to qualify
• Authorizes civic engagement demonstration
  programs to support grandparents and other older
  relatives raising children like such as Kinship
  Navigator programs

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Action-Older Americans Act Funding

• Contact legislators in support of 9.9 million
  funding for civic engagement programs OAA
• Law highlights needs of grandparents raising
  grandchildren and some funds could be used for
  this group.
• Request 190 million for the NFCSP (an increase
  of 32 million) to recognize the need to provide
  support to newly eligible families, as well as
  increasing the level of support available to all
  family caregivers. More than 400,000
  grandparents raising grandchildren are newly
  eligible

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Lifespan Respite Care Act
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Lifespan Respite Care Act will

• Establish grant program to assist family
  caregivers in accessing affordable, quality
  respite care (including grandfamilies)
• Encourage states to enact state and local
  lifespan respite programs
• Improve coordination and dissemination of
  information on respite services
• Build on model programs like those being
  discussed today.

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Lifespan Respite Act

• Passed House and Senate and was signed into law
  Dec. 21, 2006
• No funding included in Senate bill
• House bill still awaiting vote
• Action Contact House member to urge them to
  offer an amendment for funding at 40 million for
  fiscal year 2008

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State Childrens Health Insurance Programs (CHIP)

• Helps children dont qualify for Medicaid but
  dont have private insurance
• Up for Reauthorization
• Advocates call for at least 50 billion more
• Administration calls for 5 billion more
• Senate Finance Committee passed bill for 35
  billion more
• Pending in House
• President threatens to veto

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Action

• Call House members and Urge them to reauthorize
  CHIP this year

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Pending Public Policies
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Kinship Caregiver Support Act (S. 661)
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Navigator Programs

• Funding for States to apply to develop kinship
  navigator help desks or hotlines
• Survey showed number one request is for access to
  information
• Language in the OAA is a start
• Broader funding is needed for programs across the
  U.S.
• Build on successes of New Jersey, Ohio,
  Washington state, Connecticut

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Subsidized Guardianship

• Allow states to use up Title IV-E funding for
  subsidized guardianship programs to help children
  exit foster care to safe, permanent homes with
  relatives

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• I was ready to make a permanent commitment to my
  grandson but I was still going to be his
  grandmother, I was never going to be his mommy

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Notification and Licensing

• Requires written notification to relative before
  child is placed in foster care. (MD recently
  passed more specific legislation)
• Allows states to establish separate licensing
  standards for relative foster parents and
  non-relatives foster parents, provided both
  standards protect children and include criminal
  record checks

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Education and Independent Living

• Expands eligibility for elements of the Chafee
  Foster Care Independence Program
• Makes eligible for higher education and training
  vouchers youths exiting from foster care to
  legal guardianship (after 16 in Senate/ after 14
  in House).

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Status

• Senators Clinton (D-NY) and Snowe (R-ME) are
  seeking additional cosponsors for S. 661.
• Similar bill (H.R. 2188) introduced in House by
  Representatives Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Timothy
  Johnson (R-IL).
• Urge your legislators to support Kinship
  Caregiver Support Act S. 661, H.R. 2188.

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Next Steps?
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Raise your Grand Voice

• Learn who your legislators are at
  www.congress.org
• Participate in GU Hill day tomorrow. Meet in
  Lobby at 1030 to travel to Hill
• Phone calls or letters. Visit www.gu.org and
  click on Take action for directions and samples
• Join legislative alert lists. Email jlent_at_gu.org

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For more information
Jaia Peterson Lentjlent_at_gu.org (202)
289-3979 or visit www.gu.org