Illinois' Extended Family Support Program (EFSP) aims to support and stabilize caregivers who have cared for relative children for more than 14 days and have kept the family out of the child welfare system. The EFSP provides support for obtaining guardianship – including assistance with caregiver attorney fees, enrolling children in school, and obtaining the TANF child-only grant, subsidized day care and other benefits. The EFSP also provides cash assistance to support stabilization when necessary.

The Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act, HB 4781, was signed into law February 5th, 2025. The Act includes many provisions to promote a “kin-first” culture — where the child welfare system prioritizes placing children with people they know, keeping them in contact with their family, and providing meaningful support to kinship caregivers. This summary of the law includes the provisions of this comprehensive state legislation which prioritizes keeping children with kin and supporting kin caregivers at every step of the process.

This fact sheet reviews state licensing standards related to immigrant caregivers serving as placement resources for children in the child welfare system.  Summary of fact sheet also available here (2017).

Overview by the ABA Center on Children and the Law on the impact of immigration status of potential kin caregivers' ability to be licensed as foster parents for a child in care. This brief includes a map of the state immigration status requirements for licensure as of 2022. For other immigration resources visit: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/child_law/project-areas/immigration/

The ABA Center on Children and the Law is pleased to share Immigration Issues in the Child Welfare System: Case Studies. This resource provides guidance on how to navigate a number of scenarios in which children and their families may benefit from support services but face intersecting immigration and child welfare legal challenges.