Supporting foster families with the KIND Act
When a family is in crisis, children desperately need support, stability, and love.
That’s why grandparents and other relatives are often the first choice to serve as foster families when a child goes into the care of the Department of Children and Family Services.
Unfortunately, these kinds of placements have often been hampered by outdated rules and standards. So I’m very pleased that, this week, Governor Pritzker signed HB4781, the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act, allowing DCFS to develop more flexible standards to certify relatives who are able to safely care for youth in DCFS care.
The KIND Act provides responsible, commonsense updates to DCFS practice that will make it easier for family members to step up and provide stable, caring homes for children in crisis. When we support these family caregivers and provide the foster care benefits these families need and deserve, we can help to put these children on a path to happier, healthier adult lives.