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Bill

S 5065

Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act

119th Congress Introduced by Susan Collins and 1 co-sponsor

Puts kinship families at the forefront of CAPTA, prioritizing relative placements, expanding supports, training, and data sharing to improve outcomes for children raised by relativ

Introduced in Senate
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Bill Summary · S 5065

Overview

  • Bill: S. 5065, "Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act"
  • Session: 119th Congress, 2nd Session
  • Introduced in the Senate on July 22, 2026 by Senator Hassan (with Senator Collins as a co-sponsor)
  • Purpose: Amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to strengthen protections and support for children raised in kinship families (grandfamilies) outside the foster care system, and to improve services, coordination, and equity for kinship caregivers and related networks.

What the bill aims to do

  • Recognize and address the needs of roughly 2.4 million children being raised by relatives or close family friends outside of foster care.
  • Emphasize kinship placements as a priority in child welfare planning and support.
  • Expand advisory, information-sharing, grant criteria, and programmatic supports to specifically include kinship caregivers, birth parents, and foster care alumni.

Key Provisions and Changes

Advisory Board and National Clearinghouse

  • Adds provisions to CAPTA’s Advisory Board to include:
    • Organizations that provide services to kinship families
    • Birth parents, kinship caregivers, and foster care alumni
  • National Clearinghouse for Information Relating to Child Abuse (CAPTA) would:
    • Coordinate with the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network
    • Create a National Technical Assistance Center to disseminate information on evidence-based and exemplary practices for children in kinship care (within or outside the child welfare system)

Grants and Funding Requirements

  • Grants to States, Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and public/private agencies (under CAPTA provisions) must reflect:
    • Equity for children placed with kin
    • Recognition of kinship circumstances
    • Plans prioritizing kin as first placement
    • Engagement of kin as supports throughout the child’s involvement
    • Licensing of kin as foster parents
    • Support for permanent families for children placed with kin
    • Creation of a strong community network to support kin families

State Grants for Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Programs

  • Programmatic updates to capture:
    • How kinship placements are prioritized
    • Introduction of “kinship navigators” to assist families
    • Data on the number of children who did not receive services because they were diverted to kin outside the foster care system

Community-Based Grants for Prevention

  • Section 201(b)(1) updates to:
    • Include explicit support for kinship families in the purposes of community-based prevention grants
  • Local program requirements (Section 205(a)) updated to:
    • Extend eligibility and services to kinship families
    • Include training for kinship caregivers on behavioral/mental health needs and how to access services
    • Include training on substance use disorders and trauma-informed care
    • Expand scope to include kinship caregivers and foster care alumni

Who Is Affected

  • Children raised in kinship families (grandfamilies) outside traditional foster care
  • Kinship caregivers (often grandparents or other relatives) and foster care alumni
  • Birth parents and extended family networks involved in kinship care
  • State, tribal, and local agencies administering CAPTA grants and programs
  • Organizations providing kinship services and supports

Procedural and Timeline Notes

  • Status: Introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (as of the latest action).
  • Case timeline: No enacted effective dates are specified in the text provided; the bill lays out amendments to CAPTA and related programs that would take effect upon future enactment and rulemaking.
  • Implementation considerations: The bill envisions new coordinating bodies (National Clearinghouse/Grandfamilies network), revised grant criteria, and added training requirements, which would require administrative changes, funding allocations, and potential rulemaking.

Potential Impact

  • Increased visibility and targeted support for kinship families within federal child welfare policy.
  • Improved access to services and supports for children raised by relatives, potentially reducing risk of maltreatment and improving outcomes.
  • Stronger emphasis on prioritizing kinship placements and licensing kin as foster parents, fostering more permanency options.
  • Enhanced data collection and information sharing regarding kinship care and service diversion from foster care pathways.

If you’d like, I can add a side-by-side comparison with current CAPTA provisions to highlight the exact amendments.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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