Senate committee unanimously approves bill prioritizing kin-first foster care placement

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A plan moving in Springfield could require the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to prioritize placing youth with their relatives.

More than 10,000 youth in care currently live with relatives. Yet, over 60% of those caregivers are denied foster care benefits necessary to care for young people.

House Bill 4781 requires DCFS to pursue federal funding to establish a kinship navigator program to help relatives who have youth in care.

"It emphasizes maintaining family connections, reducing trauma from family separation and achieving faster more stable permanency for children in foster care," said Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago).

The plan also provides enhanced court oversight to ensure youth have long-term connections with their relatives. The Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday. Senators could pass the plan before veto session ends Thursday.

"By cutting the red tape that prevents families from accessing the support they need, we can improve the lives of thousands of youth in care," Hunter said. "As more states find success in foster care systems that prioritize a kin-first approach, it is time Illinois does the same."

House Bill 4781 passed unanimously out of the House on May 15. The measure would have to go back to the House on concurrence due to a Senate amendment.