Pennsylvania’s child welfare system is charged with both protecting children from abuse and neglect and helping families remain safely intact whenever possible. In situations where children cannot stay in their homes, living with relatives or other adults they already know and trust is often the most beneficial alternative to traditional foster care.

Children placed with kinship caregivers generally experience better outcomes across multiple areas. These placements are associated with less emotional disruption, stronger family and cultural connections, greater stability, improved school performance, and a higher likelihood of achieving permanent living arrangements. Even so, kinship placements are still not used as frequently as they could be within Pennsylvania’s foster care system.

This is in part because Pennsylvania currently requires relatives and kinship caregivers to meet the exact same licensing standards as unrelated foster parents. In practice, these administrative barriers can prevent otherwise capable family members or trusted adults from becoming licensed because of rules or agency decisions that are unrelated to a child’s health or safety.

Federal guidance from the Administration for Children and Families specifically allows - and encourages - states to create separate licensing approaches tailored to kinship caregivers. By April 2026, 19 states had already adopted federally approved kin-specific licensing standards, but Pennsylvania is not yet one of them.

My legislation would establish a dedicated licensing process for kinship caregivers in Pennsylvania. By removing unnecessary requirements that do not affect child safety, the bill would help children remain connected to familiar caregivers, reduce delays in placement approval, and allow caregivers to receive financial support more quickly.

Adopting kin-specific licensing would strengthen Pennsylvania’s ability to place children with supportive adults they already know during difficult times. I urge my colleagues to join me in efforts to help improve stability, continuity, and long-term success for children and families involved in the child welfare system.