Foster Care Licensing

Memo by the ABA Center on Children and the Law and Generations United examining the federal and state laws that prevent kinship caregivers from becoming licensed based on previous criminal convictions. The memo analyzes state laws and policies related to criminal licensing barriers and explores opportunities to change these policies based on the recent federal rule allowing kin-specific licensing standards.

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.

Download the presentation 

View the webinar recording

View the October 11, 2023 webinar which provided an overview of the new federal rule allowing all title IV-E child welfare agencies to adopt kin-specific foster care licensing standards, thus allowing more children to be cared for by financially supported kin they know and love. The webinar rolled out a new national set of recommendations and featured national kinship experts as well as state child welfare leaders in support of the rule change. 

Administration for Children and Families Program Instruction to provide instruction and attachements to title IV-E agencies on title IV-E plan amendments resulting from the promulgation of Separate Licensing Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes (88 FR 66700).