On January 6th, 2025, a unanimous vote from the Illinois General Assembly brought the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act to the desk of governor J.B. Pritzker to sign into law. The KIND Act is poised to transform foster child placement and quality of living in the state of Illinois by prioritizing the placement of children with relatives, providing resources and support for kinship caregivers while minimizing obstacles.
So, what exactly does the KIND Act do? The lengthy, demanding process required to become a certified guardian of a child in foster care has stood in the way of many potential placements. Of the relatives providing homes for the 10,000+ youth in DCFS care, over 60% have been denied guardianship benefits unnecessarily. The KIND Act serves to streamline the process for relatives of the child seeking to become legal guardians, removing barriers to kinship guardians receiving funding and support resources. The act also enhances court oversight and accountability, making sure that the children and their guardians are being advocated for within the system.
Why is this so crucial? Prioritizing kinship placements with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other relatives decreases the trauma of family separation, and provides increased security and satisfaction over children placed in non-kin homes. Hephzibah’s own Julie Dvorsky – Director of Family-Based Services – is eagerly anticipating the act’s ratification. “I think that this will have a positive impact on our program, as we are committed to placing children in kinship homes.”
Hephzibah has and always will work with family first to connect children in foster care with the environments and resources they need to thrive, and the KIND Act is an exciting step in the right direction!
Check out ACLU Illinois’ synopsis of the KIND Act here.