PRINTER'S NO. 764
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
662
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY PASHINSKI, HENNESSEY, BISHOP, SAMUELSON, KOTIK,
JAMES, CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, MURT, D. COSTA, BROWNLEE,
READSHAW, THOMAS, V. BROWN, BIZZARRO, MATZIE, SNYDER,
RAVENSTAHL, McCARTER, KIM, SCHWEYER AND ENGLISH,
FEBRUARY 27, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, FEBRUARY 27, 2015
AN ACT
Establishing the Kinship Caregiver Navigator Pilot Program
within the Department of Human Services.
The General Assembly hereby finds and declares as follows:
(1) Nearly 240,000 Pennsylvania children under the age
of 18 live in households headed by relatives other than the
child's parents and of those over 191,000 are being raised by
the child's grandparents.
(2) Nearly 80,000 Pennsylvania grandparents are
responsible for caring for grandchildren living with them and
nearly 20% of these households are living in poverty.
(3) The number of grandparent and other relative
caregivers increases every year.
(4) Grandparents and other relative caregivers face many
challenges, including:
(i) Personal costs associated with raising a child.
(ii) Legal costs associated with custody hearings.
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(iii) Lack of a support network.
(iv) Lack of respite for the caregiver.
(v) Lack of knowledge of local services and supports
for children in the care of a grandparent or other
relative.
(5) Article XIII of the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31,
No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code, requires county
agencies to give relatives first consideration when placing a
child, recognizing the importance of keeping children
situated in families.
(6) A Kinship Caregiver Navigator Program would provide
kinship caregivers with information on services and legal
resources available to them, and form a referral network to
assist them in accessing these services.
(7) By connecting kinship caregivers with information,
services and support, a Kinship Caregiver Navigator Program
would also benefit children being raised by family members by
helping kinship caregivers be better parents.
(8) Several states have Kinship Caregiver Navigator
Programs including Ohio, New Jersey and New York.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Kinship
Caregiver Navigator Pilot Program Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Area agency on aging." The single local agency designated
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by the Department of Aging within each planning and service area
to administer the delivery of a comprehensive and coordinated
plan of social and other services and activities.
"Child." An individual under 18 years of age.
"County agency." The county children and youth social
service agency established under section 405 of the act of June
24, 1937 (P.L.2017, No.396), known as the County Institution
District Law and supervised by the department under Article IX
of the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public
Welfare Code.
"Department." The Department of Human Services of the
Commonwealth.
"Kinship Caregiver." An individual who is at least 21 years
of age who lives with and is responsible for the care of a child
who is related within the third degree of consanguinity or
affinity to the parent or stepparent of a child.
"Kinship Navigator." An individual who is at least 21 years
of age who:
(1) has been trained by the department to, at a minimum:
(i) understand the various State agency systems
serving kinship caregivers;
(ii) assist in accessing federal, State and local
service and supports available to kinship caregivers; and
(iii) track trends, concerns and other factors
related to kinship caregivers; and
(2) has submitted to a criminal background check.
"Program." The Kinship Caregiver Navigator Pilot Program.
"Website." The Kinship Caregiver Navigator Internet website
created and maintained by the department.
Section 3. Kinship Caregiver Navigator Pilot Program.
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(a) Establishment.--The department shall institute a 12
month Kinship Caregiver Navigator Pilot Program.
(b) Locations.--The department shall determine the number of
local pilot programs to establish across this Commonwealth, with
at least one of the pilot programs located in Northeast
Pennsylvania.
(c) Cooperation.--The department may work with other states
that have similar programs for assistance in establishing a
pilot program in this Commonwealth.
(d) Input.--The department may seek and receive input for
the program from members of the family court judiciary, family
law practitioners and family-child therapists and counselors.
(e) Minimum criteria.--The program shall determine the level
of services and supports kinship caregivers in this Commonwealth
need to assist them in raising a child. The department shall, at
a minimum:
(1) Create and maintain a Kinship Caregiver Navigator
website that provides information on support and services
available to kinship caregivers and those who are planning on
becoming kinship caregivers, with special emphasis on kinship
caregivers who are grandparents in accordance with the
following:
(i) The information shall include:
(A) Federal and State programs.
(B) Support groups for kinship caregivers and
children in the kinship caregiver's care.
(C) Respite services for kinship caregivers.
(D) Financial aid.
(E) Relevant legal resources and available
assistance.
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(F) Education and supportive therapy services
for children.
(ii) The website must include a toll-free telephone
number kinship caregivers can call to reach a kinship
navigator. The website may offer web-based on-line chat
for kinship caregivers to connect with the kinship
navigator.
(iii) The website must offer a way for the public to
provide input or suggestions.
(2) Work with the area agency on aging and the county
agency to track trends, concerns and other factors related to
kinship caregivers and to identify areas of the Commonwealth
lacking in services and resources for kinship caregivers.
(3) Create and maintain a kinship caregiver hotline to
provide supportive listening and guidance to kinship
caregivers or those who are planning on becoming kinship
caregivers. The department may also create and maintain a
live Internet-based chat to provide guidance to kinship
caregivers and those planning on becoming kinship caregivers.
(4) Designate and train individuals within the
department to serve as Kinship Caregiver Navigators.
(5) Educate the public on services and supports
available to kinship caregivers with an emphasis on services
to assist kinship caregivers who are grandparents. The
department may utilize websites or coordinate with other
State and county agencies, area agencies on aging, schools,
senior centers, community organizations and legislative
offices in this Commonwealth, to assist in disseminating
information.
(6) Communicate with area agencies on aging, county
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agencies, the Senate Aging and Youth Committee and the Aging
and Older Adult Services Committee and the Children and Youth
Committee of the House of Representatives and for input on
best practices in the design and function of program.
(7) Investigate the feasibility of an affirmative
program which may include public-private partnerships similar
to existing programs in other states that have kinship
navigators.
Section 4. Kinship Caregiver Navigators.
A Kinship Caregiver Navigator shall, at a minimum, do the
following:
(1) Assist kinship caregivers, through live Internet-
based chat on the website or by phone to:
(i) Navigate the website to access relevant federal
and State benefits, local community supports and
services.
(ii) Answer questions regarding kinship care giving.
(2) Mediate with State agency staff or service providers
and, when necessary, assist in establishing relationships
between kinship caregivers and relevant federal and State
agency staff.
(3) Work with a local area agency on aging and county
agency to identify and provide outreach to kinship caregivers
in need of additional services with special attention to
grandparents, relatives not proficient in English or those in
geographically isolated areas.
(4) Create a community-based support network for kinship
caregivers by developing collaborative working relationships
with groups and agencies, including:
(i) Community organizations.
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(ii) Faith-based organizations.
(iii) Social agencies.
(iv) Local community service providers.
Section 5. Report.
The department shall report the results of the program to the
General Assembly within three months of the end of the pilot
program. The report shall include the following:
(1) An assessment of the overall effectiveness of the
program.
(2) Recommendations about how to best serve kinship
caregivers, with an emphasis on kinship caregivers who are
grandparents.
(3) A comparison of the cost of placing a child in
foster care with the cost of operating a Kinship Caregiver
Navigator Program.
(4) Recommendations to establish a permanent Kinship
Caregiver Navigator Program.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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