Assigned to APPROP                                                                                          AS PASSED BY COMMITTEE

 


 

 

 


ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session

 

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1539

 

kinship foster care stipend

Purpose

            Requires the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to provide a monthly stipend to kinship foster care parents of $150 per month.

Background

            DCS is responsible for investigating reports of abuse and neglect relating to children and coordinating services to maintain permanency on behalf of the child, strengthening the family and providing prevention, intervention and treatment services (A.R.S. § 8-451).

            The placement of a child who is in DCS custody is determined by the best interests of the child, and DCS must establish kinship foster care services for a child who has been removed from the child's home. A kinship foster care parent may be eligible to receive the following financial services for the child: 1) full foster care benefits, including payment if the kinship foster care parent becomes a licensed foster care home; and 2) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash assistance payments (A.R.S. § 8-514.03).  

            The Joint Legislative Budget Committee published a fiscal note on S.B. 1539 that projects a fiscal impact of $14,200,000 annually to the state General Fund (JLBC Fiscal Note).

Provisions

1.   Requires DCS to provide a kinship foster care parent with a stipend of $150 per month for each child placed with the kinship foster care parent.

2.   Repeals statute that requires the promotion of placing the children in the care of DCS with the child's relative or a person with a significant relationship to the child for kinship foster care.

3.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

1.   Decreased the monthly stipend for kinship foster care parents from $250 to $150.

2.   Updates the fiscal impact statement to include the revised fiscal note.

Senate Action

APPROP         2/16/21      DPA     10-0-0

Prepared by Senate Research

February 17, 2021

LMM/kja