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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 29, 2025 09:00 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Judith L. Schwank and Sen. Carolyn T. Comitta, Sen. Patty Kim, Sen. Maria Collett |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Kin Care Provider Policy in the Foster Care System |
| In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation to provide for the expansion of opportunities for kin care placements in Pennsylvania’s foster care system. As opposed to placements with strangers, kin care placements have been found to better maintain family connections, minimize trauma, preserve cultural identity, increase placement stability, improve behavioral outcomes, and promote sibling ties. Despite this, of 20,000 children placed in the Pennsylvania foster care system in 2021, only 42% were placed with kin. This is in part due to the immensely difficult approval process kin care providers, who are oftentimes simply relatives seeking approval on an emergency basis, must go through. Despite urgent and sensitive situations, kin care providers are put through the same process as other pre-approved, certified foster parents. The totality of the circumstances surrounding a kin care provider’s ability to obtain all necessary certification within the 60-day window prove to be overly burdensome and, in many ways, harmful to the family unit. To decrease the burden on these families, the first part of this legislation will loosen the non-safety related requirements on kin to get certified as a foster care provider. In addition, current law mandates that kin care providers in Pennsylvania must be at least 21 years old. However, there are instances where individuals who can serve as kin care providers for youth in foster care are younger adults. Because of this, the second part of this bill will allow for adults 18 and older to be considered as kin care providers if they prove they have the means to take care of the youth placed in their care. I urge my colleagues to join us in sponsoring this important legislation to facilitate kin care placements and help provide the best homes possible for youth within our foster care system. |
Memo Updated: January 29, 2025 09:42 AM