,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #dceb ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #ag1 #bjai,ms4 ,bass 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,langevin1 ,mr4 ,bacon1 ,mrs4 ,lawrence1 and ,mr4 ,mitchell7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means ,a ,,bill ,to amend part ,b of title ,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act to provide grants to develop and enhance1 or to evaluate1 kinship navigator programs1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,supporting ,kinship ,connections ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 #b1ejj1jjj children in the ,united ,states are living in kinship care with grandparents or other relatives4 7#b7 ,with the rise of substance abuse1 including heroin and other opioid-use1 more kin caregivers are stepping up to raise children who are in need of foster care and permanent homes4 7#c7 ,grandparents and relatives residing in urban1 rural1 and suburban households in every county of the ,united ,states have stepped forward out of love and loyalty to care for children during times in which parents are unable to do so4 7#d7 ,kinship caregivers provide safety1 promote well-being1 and establish stable households for vulnerable children4 7#e7 ,kinship care enables a child to maintain family relationships and cultural heritage and remain in the community of the child4 7#f7 ,kinship care is a national resource that provides loving homes for children at risk4 7#g7 ,kinship caregivers face daunting challenges to keep countless children from entering foster care4 7#h7 ,kinship navigator programs have been shown to proactively provide support to kinship caregivers in an effort to avert crises and potentially prevent more costly services4 7#i7 ,kinship placement decreases the likelihood that children will run away and end up on the streets where they are at risk of trafficking4 7#aj7 ,children in kinship placements are less likely to be moved from placement to placement4 7#aa7 ,children in kinship placements are less likely to struggle with behavioral health and less likely to be maltreated4 #c4 ,grants to develop1 enhance1 or evaluate kinship navigator programs 7a7 ,in general ,section #dbg of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbg7 is amended to read as follows3 #dbg4 ,kinship navigator program grants 7a7 ,authority ,the ,secretary shall make grants to ,states1 to ,indian tribes1 tribal organizations1 or tribal consortia1 and to community-based organizations to develop and enhance kinship navigator programs1 or to evaluate such programs1 in order to promote the use of kinship navigator programs by all such entities1 and to advance the knowledge and use of kinship navigator programs that meet-- 7#a7 the evidence-based practices criteria to qualify for payments under section #dgd7;a77#g72 and 7#b7 the requirements described in subsection 7b77#a7 of this section4 7b7 ,program requirements 7#a7 ,mandatory requirements ,the requirements described in this paragraph are the following3 7,a7 ,the kinship navigator program is designed to assist kinship caregivers in learning about1 finding1 and using programs and services to meet the needs of the children they are assisting or raising1 and their own needs1 and to promote effective partnerships among public and private agencies to ensure kinship caregiver families are served4 7,b7 ,the kinship navigator program is coordinated with other ,state or local agencies that promote service coordination or provide information and referral services1 including the entities that provide #b-a-a or #c-a-a information systems where available1 to avoid duplication or fragmentation of services to kinship care families4 7,c7 ,the kinship navigator program is planned and operated in consultation with kinship caregivers and organizations representing them1 youth raised by kinship caregivers1 relevant government agencies1 and relevant community-based or faith-based organizations4 7,d7 ,the kinship navigator program establishes information and referral systems that link 7via toll-free access7 kinship caregivers1 kinship support group facilitators1 and kinship service providers to-- 7i7 each other2 7ii7 eligibility and enrollment information for ,federal1 ,state1 and local benefits2 7iii7 relevant training to assist kinship caregivers in caregiving and in obtaining benefits and services2 and 7iv7 relevant legal assistance and help in obtaining legal services4 7,e7 ,the kinship navigator program provides outreach to kinship care families1 including by establishing1 distributing1 and updating a kinship care website1 or other relevant guides or outreach materials4 7,f7 ,the kinship navigator program promotes-- 7i7 partnerships between public and private agencies1 including schools and universities1 community-based or faith-based organizations1 and relevant government agencies1 to increase their knowledge of the needs of kinship care families and other individuals who are willing and able to assist parents to help prevent children from entering foster care or to be foster parents2 and 7ii7 improved services for such families and individuals4 7#b7 ,additional activities ,in addition to meeting the requirements described in paragraph 7#a71 a grant under this section may be used to assist a kinship navigator program in-- 7,a7 establishing and supporting a kinship care ombudsman with authority to intervene and help kinship caregivers access services2 7,b7 supporting any other activities designed to assist kinship caregivers in obtaining benefits and services to improve their caregiving1 including in-person supportive services2 7,c7 negotiating1 managing1 and implementing agreements to enable the kinship navigator program obtain data from the information systems used to carry out a ,state program funded under part ,a1 or a ,state plan developed in accordance with this subpart1 or approved under subpart #b of this part2 and 7,d7 public education and awareness of kinship placement and processes4 7c7 ,applications ,in order to receive a grant under this section1 a ,state1 ,indian tribe1 tribal organization1 tribal consortium1 or community-based organization shall submit to the ,secretary an application1 at such time and in such manner as the ,secretary shall require1 that contains the following3 7#a7 ,a description of how the grant will be used to develop1 enhance1 or evaluate kinship navigator programs that meets the requirements of subsection 7b77#a71 and whether the ,state or tribal entity intends to carry out any of the activities described in subsection 7b77#b74 7#b7 ,a description of how kinship caregivers and the children they care for will be identified and an initial projection of the number of children and kin caregivers that will be served4 7#c7 ,a description of how the ,state or tribal entity intends to make its kinship navigator program available as broadly as possible1 including on a statewide 7or1 in the case of a tribal entity1 multi-,state7 basis whenever possible4 7#d7 ,a description of how the ,state intends to sustain the kinship navigator program after the end of the grant funding1 including through use of funding available under section #dgd7;a77#g74 7#e7 ,an assurance that the ,state1 ,indian tribe1 tribal organization1 tribal consortium1 or community-based organization will cooperate fully with any evaluation provided for by the ,secretary with respect to grants made under this section4 7#f7 ,any other information that the ,secretary may require4 7d7 ,grant allotments and payments 7#a7 ,allotments to ,states1 tribes1 or community-based organizations ,subject to the succeeding paragraphs of this subsection1 from the amounts appropriated to carry out this section for a fiscal year1 after the application of the amounts reserved under subsection 7e7 for the fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall allot to each ,state that has submitted an application for a grant under this section 7and to each ,indian tribe1 tribal organization1 or tribal consortium that has submitted an application for a grant to be paid from an allotment under this paragraph7 for the fiscal year an amount equal to the sum of-- 7,a7 #bjj1jjj2 and 7,b7 the product of-- 7i7 the amount remaining after making the reservations required under subsection 7e71 and allotting the amount described in subparagraph 7,a7 to each such ,state and each such ,indian tribe1 tribal organization1 or tribal consortium1 for the fiscal year2 and 7ii7 the proportion that the number of children in the ,state1 ,indian tribe1 tribal organization1 or tribal consortium for the fiscal year bears to the total number of children for all the ,states 7and all the ,indian tribes1 tribal organizations1 and tribal consortia provided with a grant paid from an allotment under this paragraph7 for the fiscal year4 7#b7 ,allotments to certain territories ,in the case of an allotment determined under paragraph 7#a7 for the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 or the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 the ,secretary may reduce the amount of the allotment based on the need of the territory1 but not below a minimum amount that the ,secretary determines is sufficient to enable the territory to carry out the purposes of a grant made under this section4 7#c7 ,indian tribes or tribal consortia ,from the amount reserved under subsection 7e77#a7 for a fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall allot to each ,indian tribe1 tribal organization1 and tribal consortium that has submitted an application for a grant under this section 7other than from an allotment under paragraph 7#a77 for the fiscal year an amount that bears the same ratio to such reserved amount as the number of children in the ,indian tribe1 tribal organization1 or tribal consortium for the fiscal year bears to the total number of children in all ,indian tribes and tribal organizations that have submitted an application for a grant under this section 7other than from an allotment under paragraph 7#a77 for the fiscal year1 as determined by the ,secretary on the basis of the most current and reliable information available to the ,secretary4 ,if a consortium of ,indian tribes applies and is approved for a grant under this section1 the ,secretary shall allot to the consortium an amount equal to the sum of the allotments determined for each ,indian tribe and tribal organization that is part of the consortium4 7#d7 ,payments ,payments of grants under this section may be made in advance or by way of reimbursement1 and in such installments1 as the ,secretary may determine1 and shall be made on such conditions as the ,secretary finds necessary to carry out the purposes of the grants4 7#e7 ,availability of funds ,amounts allotted under this subsection to a ,state1 an ,indian tribe1 a tribal organization1 a tribal consortium1 or a community-based organization for a fiscal year shall remain available for expenditure through the end of the succeeding fiscal year4 7#f7 ,no matching payment required ,no matching payment shall apply to the grants made under this section4 7e7 ,reservations of funds 7#a7 ,indian tribes1 tribal organizations1 or tribal consortia ,the ,secretary shall reserve #e percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year to carry out this section1 for grants to ,indian tribes1 tribal organizations1 or tribal consortia not provided a grant from an allotment under subsection 7d77#a7 for the fiscal year4 7#b7 ,technical assistance1 evaluations1 and guidance ,the ,secretary shall reserve #e percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year to carry out this section to provide technical assistance1 evaluations emphasizing community-based participatory methods that align programs with local knowledge and community values1 and guidance to grantees1 and to carry out1 by grant1 contract1 or interagency agreement1 cross-site evaluations for purposes of identifying evidence-based practices criteria that will qualify for payment under section #dgd7;a77#g74 7f7 ,authorization of appropriations ,in addition to any amounts otherwise appropriated to carry out this subpart1 there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary for purposes of making grants under this section1 #ae1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbj and #bjba1 to remain available until expended4 7g7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,indian tribe2 tribal organization ,the terms ,indian tribe and tribal organization have the meanings given such terms in section #dbh7;c74 7#b7 ,state ,the term ,state has the meaning given that term in section #aaja for purposes of this title and includes the ,northern ,mariana ,islands4 4 7b7 ,conforming amendments 7#a7 ,section #dgd7;a77#g7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fgd7;a77#g77 is amended by striking section #dbg7;a77#a7 and inserting section #dbg7;b77#a74 7#b7 ,section #dgf of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fgf7 is amended-- 7,a7 in subsection 7c77#b77;,a77ii7-- 7i7 in subclause 7,i71 by striking and after the semicolon2 and 7ii7 by inserting after subclause 7,,ii7 the following3 7,,iii7 ,indian tribes1 tribal organizations1 or tribal consortia seeking to develop and enhance kinship navigator programs1 or to evaluate such programs1 in order to promote their use by tribal entities1 and to advance the knowledge and use of kinship navigator programs that meet the evidence-based practices to qualify for payments under section #dgd7;a77#g7 and the requirements described in section #dbg7;b77#a72 and 2 and 7,b7 in subsection 7d77#b71 by striking section #dbg7;a77#a7 and inserting section #dbg7;b77#a74 7c7 ,technical amendments 7#a7 ,section #dbh7;c7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbh7;c77 is amended by striking by subsections 7e7 and 7l7 of section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #dej;b71 respectively and inserting under section #d of the ,indian ,self ,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd74 7#b7 ,section #dgi;,b7a7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fgi;c7a77 is amended by striking #dej;b and inserting #ecjd4 7d7 ,effective date ,the amendments made by this section shall take effect on ,october #a1 #bjai4