II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4443 

To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to require States to provide 

information about available benefits and services to kinship caregivers. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 22, 2022 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, and Mr. 

KELLY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to require 

States to provide information about available benefits 

and services to kinship caregivers. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Informing 

5 Grandfamilies Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STATE NOTIFICATIONS TO KINSHIP CAREGIVERS 

2 OF CHILD TANF RECIPIENTS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(a) of the Social Secu4 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following: 

6 ‘‘(13) STATE REQUIREMENTS REGARDING NO7 TICE AND GUIDANCE TO KINSHIP CAREGIVERS.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State to which a 

9 grant is made under section 403 shall ensure 

10 that the State agency provides to any kinship 

11 caregiver, including grandparents and other rel12 ative caregivers, of a minor child if the child is 

13 a recipient of assistance under the State pro14 gram funded under this part (or under a State 

15 program funded with qualified State expendi16 tures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i))), 

17 written notice that— 

18 ‘‘(i) explains the options of the kin19 ship caregiver under Federal, State, and 

20 local law to participate in the care and 

21 placement of the child, including the finan22 cial ramifications of the options and any 

23 options that may be lost by choosing cer24 tain benefits; 

25 ‘‘(ii) describes the requirements under 

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1 ily home and the additional services and 

2 supports that are available for a child 

3 placed in such a home; 

4 ‘‘(iii) if the State has elected the op5 tion to make guardianship assistance pay6 ments under section 471(a)(28), describes 

7 how the kinship caregiver may enter into 

8 an agreement with the State to receive the 

9 payments; 

10 ‘‘(iv) describes policies under the 

11 State program funded under this part that 

12 may help kinship caregivers and the rel13 ative children they care for; and 

14 ‘‘(v) provides direct contact informa15 tion for kinship navigator programs de16 scribed in section 427(a)(1) or other agen17 cies and community organizations that 

18 provide resources and assistance, such as 

19 housing, supplemental nutrition assistance, 

20 health care, and child care. 

21 ‘‘(B) TIMING OF NOTICE.—The notice re22 quired under subparagraph (A)— 

23 ‘‘(i) shall be provided to a kinship 

24 caregiver of a minor child at the time that 

25 the kinship caregiver attends an eligibility 


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1 interview for assistance (either on the kin2 ship caregiver’s own behalf or on behalf of 

3 the child) under the State program funded 

4 under this part (or under a State program 

5 funded with qualified State expenditures 

6 (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i))); or 

7 ‘‘(ii) if the kinship caregiver (or the 

8 minor child) is already receiving assistance 

9 under such a program on the date of en10 actment of this paragraph, shall be sent to 

11 the kinship caregiver as soon as practicable 

12 after such date. 

13 ‘‘(C) PROVISION OF GUIDANCE TO KINSHIP

14 CAREGIVERS.—A State to which a grant is 

15 made under section 403 shall ensure that the 

16 State agency responsible for administering the 

17 State program funded under this part employs 

18 a resource employee who is trained to provide 

19 guidance to kinship caregivers, including grand20 parents and other relative caregivers, of a 

21 minor child if the child is a recipient of assist22 ance under the program (or under a State pro23 gram funded with qualified State expenditures 

24 (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i))), on 

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1 ship of the child, including explaining to the 

2 kinship caregiver how each legal option cor3 responds to the availability of benefits and serv4 ices, and who serves as a liaison with other 

5 agencies and community organizations that pro6 vide resources and assistance to kinship care7 givers.’’. 

8 (b) INCLUSION IN STATE PLAN.—Section 

9 402(a)(1)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(B)) is 

10 amended by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(vi) The document shall provide a 

12 detailed explanation of how the State in13 tends to comply with section 408(a)(13).’’. 

Æ 


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