Press Releases

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) and Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) today introduced the bipartisan Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act to better support kinship caregivers – the vast majority of whom are grandparents – who have taken over as primary caregivers for children exposed to substance misuse or other trauma. Companion legislation was also introduced in the Senate by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The bill is endorsed by Generations United.

More than 2,400,000 children are being raised in kinship families or ‘‘grandfamilies’’ by relatives or close family friends without their parents in the home, and the vast majority of such children are raised outside of the foster care system. For every child in foster care living with relatives, there are 18 being raised by relatives outside of the foster care system. The Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act bill will ensure these families are eligible for services under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and provide support to meet the unique needs of children who have experienced trauma, including exposure to substance misuse.

“As we work to combat the opioid epidemic and support those suffering, we also have to address its impact and the unique needs of extended kinship families,” said Rep. Scanlon. “Children whose parents are unable to care for them usually fare best when loving grandparents or other relatives are able to step in as primary caregivers, but kinship families often need additional support to meet the children’s needs, particularly when the family is in crisis. I’m proud to join Rep. Thompson in introducing this legislation to kinship caregivers and help our most vulnerable children thrive.”

“All children deserve a safe, loving, and stable home, regardless of their family’s circumstances. Oftentimes, stability is found in a grandparent’s home or another kinship caregiver,” Rep. Thompson said. “I am proud to support this bill which will ensure that children and families are able to access programs and services that will best serve them in their time of need.”

“Compared to children in foster care with non-relatives, children being raised by grandparents and other kin have better behavioral and mental health outcomes and greater stability,” said Jaia Lent, Deputy Executive Director of Generations United. “They are more likely to stay connected to siblings, retain their cultural identity and have a strong sense of belonging. Yet, too often grandfamily caregivers are left with little to no support to help provide for the complex needs of the children. This legislation takes critical steps to improve access to services to help the children thrive.”

The Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act would:

• Help to ensure that grandfamilies and all kinship families are eligible for services under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).
• Provide additional support to these families to meet the unique needs of children who have experienced trauma, including being exposed to substance misuse. 
• Call for specialized training to help kinship caregivers navigate the complicated supports and services they may be eligible to receive.
• Coordinates with the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center that Congress created in the American Rescue Plan to disseminate information on best practices used to support children being raised in kinship families within or outside of the child welfare system.

A copy of the bill text is available here. 

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