Don't show this message again
42 U.S. Code § 627. Family connection grants
(a) In generalThe Secretary of Health and Human Services may make matching grants to State, local, or tribal child welfare agencies, private nonprofit organizations that have experience in working with foster children or children in kinship care arrangements, and institutions of higher education (as defined under section 1001 of title 20), for the purpose of helping children who are in, or at risk of entering, foster care reconnect with family members through the implementation of—
(1) a kinship navigator program to assist kinship caregivers in learning about, finding, and using programs and services to meet the needs of the children they are raising and their own needs, and to promote effective partnerships among public and private agencies to ensure kinship caregiver families are served, which program—
(A)
shall be coordinated with other State or local agencies that promote service coordination or provide information and referral services, including the entities that provide 2–1–1 or 3–1–1 information systems where available, to avoid duplication or fragmentation of services to kinship care families;
(B)
shall be planned and operated in consultation with kinship caregivers and organizations representing them, youth raised by kinship caregivers, relevant government agencies, and relevant community-based or faith-based organizations;
(C) shall establish information and referral systems that link (via toll-free access) kinship caregivers, kinship support group facilitators, and kinship service providers to—
(i)
each other;
(ii)
eligibility and enrollment information for Federal, State, and local benefits;
(iii)
relevant training to assist kinship caregivers in caregiving and in obtaining benefits and services; and
(iv)
relevant legal assistance and help in obtaining legal services;
(D)
shall provide outreach to kinship care families, including by establishing, distributing, and updating a kinship care website, or other relevant guides or outreach materials;
(E)
shall promote partnerships between public and private agencies, including schools, community based or faith-based organizations, and relevant government agencies, to increase their knowledge of the needs of kinship care families and other individuals who are willing and able to be foster parents for children in foster care under the responsibility of the State who are themselves parents to promote better services for those families;
(F)
may establish and support a kinship care ombudsman with authority to intervene and help kinship caregivers access services; and
(G)
may support any other activities designed to assist kinship caregivers in obtaining benefits and services to improve their caregiving;