New York Expands Funding Access for Close Kin Who Become a Child’s Legal Guardian (The Chronicle of Social Change)
The Chronicle of Social Change, December 6, 2017
New York Expands Funding Access for Close Kin Who Become a Child’s Legal Guardian
“New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation late last month making it easier for close relatives and family friends to receive financial support for kinship guardianship agreements (KinGAP). Godparents, step-parents, the adoptive parents of half-siblings, neighbors and other kinds of kin will be eligible for the subsidy until the child turns 21….The New York bill passed unanimously in both houses, and had wide support from an array of other child welfare organizations, including the New York state and city bar associations and the Committee on Children and the Law….The next big question for kinship care in New York state is funding. Advocates like Stephanie Gendell are pushing the governor’s office to move KinGap funding off the ledger for foster care funding – a capped allocation which saw major cuts last year – to its own uncapped funding stream, similar to how adoption is funded. But it looks like an uphill battle. “We’re anticipating another pretty bad budget year,” Gendell said.” [Note: Stephanie Gendell is former Chair of the City Bar’s Council on Children.]
