Foster Care Licensing

An important federal rule has changed to support kinship families in the foster care system. This brief resource from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network outlines some of the most fundamental questions and answers about the change.

ABA Journal article describing new kin-specific licensing rule and how the ABA Center on Children and the Law and partner organizations are helping states implement kin-specific standards.

The US Administration for Children and Families approved a new rule allowing kin-specific licensing or approval standards for kinship foster homes.

Information memorandum summarizing the final rule released on 9/28/23 that allows states to adopt separate licensing standards for relative or kinship foster family homes.

Complete text of the final rule (released 9/28/23) allowing states to use different licensing or approval standards for relative or kinship foster family homes and nonrelative/non-kinship foster family homes. The rule also requires title IV–E agencies to periodically review the amount of Foster Care Maintenance Payments (FCMPs) to ensure that the agency provides a licensed or approved relative or kinship foster family home the same amount of FCMP that would have been made if the child was placed in a nonrelated/non-kinship foster family home.