This bill proposes updates to section 8-514.03 of the Arizona Revised Statutes regarding kinship foster care. It maintains the current requirement that families who decline to apply for financial services must sign a statement indicating their decision, but it modifies the language to clarify that this does not prevent them from applying for financial services in the future. The bill also mandates that the worker provide a copy of this statement to the family.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new provision that requires the department to provide kinship foster care parents with a monthly stipend for each child placed with them. The stipend amounts are specified to increase over time, starting at $400 from December 31, 2026, to December 31, 2027, increasing to $500 from December 31, 2027, to December 31, 2028, and reaching $600 from December 31, 2029, onward.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 8-514.03