HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02082005 - C24 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVI S ���.�'.•' _�.°�► Contra
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FROM: John Cullen
Employment and Human ices Director ,..... a„ � Costa;
DATE: February8 2005 °sr,.-Cou., •``
, cou
County
SUBJECT: Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment(Kin-GAP)Resolution �
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
ADOPT Resolution No. 2005/62 supporting State legislation to standardize levels of aid
payments for relative and non-relative legal guardiam to encourage and support relative
caregivers in taking guardianship of dependent children.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Should the Legislature approve this program,the county cost estimate is $73,500. This
liability is for the Clothing Allowance of approximately$7,200 and the Difficulty of Care
of approximately$66,300 annually,not including social worker case management costs.
BACKGROUND:
kin-OAP does not incorporate additional cash assistance beyond the basic foster care rates.
The Iain-OAP strategy would be designed to ameliorate that financial disparity by funding
incentives for relative caregivers currently available to foster parents, that of clothing and
"difficulty of care"allowance(s). If enacted, the additional Federal/State/Local funding will
provide assistance to relative caregivers resulting in the movement of children from foster
care into permanent guardianships, and, thereby stabilizing safe long-term placements with
relatives.
The Employment and Human Services Department supports the efforts of the Legislature
and this Resolution to equalize the aid payments across relative caregiver and foster parent
placements to eliminate inequities and increase the use of Iain-OAP by relative caregivers
to increase the stability and welfare of children and families.
Additionally, absent a change in state law, social worker services within our Child Welfare
Program would be required to case manage children in Iain-OAP placement. Any advocacy
efforts to ameliorate the financial disparity between kin caretakers and foster care providers
should also provide for state funding of social work services.
This resolution is similar to one approved by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on
November 4, 2003, and is intended to seek a legislative priority for this program when the
budgetary environment improves.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S): ,-
ACTION OF BORD N Z., APPROVE AS RECOMMENDEDOTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
AYES: NOES: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
ATTESTED Q
JOHNSWEETEN!,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Contact Person: John Cullen, EH:SD
SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
CC: EHSD (Contracts Uni t)EB `' •
County -Administrator
BY: DEPUTY
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Adopted this order on February 8, 2005, by the following vote:
AYES: G I o tx%LXCNAA, rjgfHo I 0&SAUL01Z'je, CrL0\j6 W-..,..
NOES: lJo 6
ABSENT: 14 o 0 E
ABSTAIN-8 t4 a
RESOLUTION NO. 2005/62
SUBJECT: Kinship Gap
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature to move children out of the foster care system and into
permanent guardianship; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature to provide equal benefits for all dependent children; and
WHEREAS, the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment (Kin-GAP) program was established in 1998
by SB 1901 in an attempt to move children out of the foster care system and into permanent
guardianship placements; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature has expressed its intent that the Kin-GAP program be utilized to enhance the
preservation of families and stabilize children in long-term, save and stable placements with relatives;
and
WHEREAS, the Kin-GAP program is currently under-utilized by eligible relative foster caretakers due to
the loss of clothing and special needs resources for children moving from foster care into the program;
and
WHEREAS, aid payment amounts as well as cost of care allowances for guardian families differ
depending on whether or not the guardian is a relative of the child and whether or not the child meets the
federal eligibility requirement for foster care; and
WHEREAS, the differences in aid payment amounts as well as access to cost of care allowances result
in disparaging amounts of support from child to child; and
WHEREAS, inequities in aid payments and benefits provide a disincentive to relatives who otherwise
would become guardians to foster children; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature to equalize the aid payment across relative and non-relative
legal guardianship to eliminate inequities, increase the utilization of Kin-GAP by relative caretakers, and
to increase the welfare of children who find themselves so affected.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors supports
legislative action to standardize levels of aid payments for relative and non-relative legal guardians to
encourage and support relative caretakers in taking guardianship of dependent children.
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action
taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors
on the date shown:
ATTESTED:
JOHN SWEETEN,Clerk of t e Board of Supervisors and
County Administrator
By• Deputy
Cc: EHSD
CAO
RESOLUTION NO. 2005/62