An Act To Consolidate Administration of Kinship Care and Relative Placement Issues within the Department of Health and Human Services
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0270
Committee Amendment CA_A_H673 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A-" to H.P. 203, L.D. 270, Bill, "An Act To 
Consolidate Administration of Kinship Care and Relative Placement Issues within the 
Department of Health and Human Services" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Support Kinship Families by Creating a Kinship Care Navigator 
Program' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 22 MRSA c. 1065 is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 1065 
KINSIDP CARE NAVIGATOR PROGRAM 
§3921. Kinship care navigator program 
1. Program established. The kinship care navigator program, referred to in this 
chapter as "the program," is established as an independent program within the department 
to provide resources and support to persons providing kinship care to children in the 
State. 
The department shall contract with a nonprofit organization to operate the 
program. The nonprofit organization must have an understanding of child development 
issues and must have experience in the support of persons providing kinship care to 
children, with the child welfare system and with District Court and Probate Court 
proceedings. The department shall choose a nonprofit organization that the department 
determines to be best able to provide resources and support on a statewide basis. 
2. Services. The program, in consultation with appropriate interested parties, as 
determined by the department, may: 
A. Identify and coordinate existing resources available to persons providing ldnship 
care to children; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~C:1, 
~·· 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT «A "to H.P. 203, L.D. 270 
B. Develop collaborative working relationships with state agencies, social services 
agencies and other organizations serving persons providing kinship care to children; 
C. 
Develop publicly accessible educational materials about the program and 
resources available to persons providing kinship care to children and present that 
information to the public, state agencies, social services organizations and other 
stakeholders; 
D. 
Provide to persons providing kinship care to children refenals to available 
resources and information about the means of obtaining services from the 
department; 
E. 
Analyze and provide recommendations to agencies, the Governor and the 
Legislature on state programs, rules, policies and laws relating to kinship care to 
children: and 
F. Collect and analyze records and data relevant to the duties and activities of the 
program and make reports as required by law or determined to be appropriate. 
3. Report. The department shall require the entity contracted under subsection 1 to 
operate the program to provide annually by January 1st a report to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters 
and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary 
matters on the activities of and services provided by the program. 
A legislative 
committee that receives a report under this subsection may report out legislation to the 
Legislature. 
4. Funding. The department shall seek and apply for available federal funds to pay 
the costs of the program. 
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Office of Child and Family Services - Central 0307 
Initiative: Provides funding to contract with a nonprofit organization to provide statewide 
support to persons who are providing kinship care to children. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2017-18 
$0 
$0 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2018-19 
$80,000 
$80,000 
t~~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A 
"to H.P. 203, L.D. 270 
SUMMARY 
This amendment establishes a kinship care navigator program to be contracted by the 
Department of Health and Human Services to provide educational information, referrals 
and support to persons providing ldnship care to children. It provides that funding will be 
drawn from federal funds, if available, and through the General Fund. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/19/18 feac 
.·, 
LD270 
LR 384(03) 
An Act To Consolidate Administration of Kinship Care and Relative Placement Issues within the 
Department of Health and Human Services 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,~i{ µ- ~ 7'!>) 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2017-18 
FY 2018-19 
$0 
$80,000 
$0 
$80,000 
Projections 
FY 2019-20 
$80,000 
$80,000 
Projections 
FY 2020-21 
$80,000 
$80,000 
The bill includes General Fund appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services of $80,000 beginning 
in fiscal year 2018-19 to contract with a nonprofit organization to provide statewide support to persons who are 
providing kinship care to children. 
LR0384(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1