The bill amends the Arkansas Subsidized Guardianship Act to expand the eligibility criteria for guardianship subsidies, allowing for financial support to prevent children from being removed from their parents' custody and placed into foster care. The amendments introduce new provisions that specify eligibility for children who are either in the custody of the Department of Human Services or those who are not. For children in custody, the bill maintains existing criteria while adding that the child must have been in the home of the prospective guardian for at least six consecutive months. For children not in custody, the bill outlines several new requirements, including the presence of safety factors that put the child at risk of removal, the availability of a willing relative or fictive kin to assume guardianship, and parental consent for the guardianship arrangement.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Human Services promulgate rules to implement these changes, with a deadline for filing the final rules set for January 1, 2024. The new provisions aim to create a more supportive framework for families at risk of separation, ensuring that children can remain with relatives or fictive kin when it is deemed safe and in their best interest.

Statutes affected:
HB 1848: 9-8-204(a)