Bill Title: Creates the Kinship Navigator Act. Defines "kinship care" as the full time care, nurturing, and protection of children by relatives, members of their tribes or clans, grandparents, godparents, stepparents, or any adult who has physical custody and a kinship bond with a child. This definition is designed to be inclusive without age restrictions on the kinship caregiver and respectful of cultural values and ties of affection. It allows a child to grow to adulthood in a family environment. Establishes a program, to be administered through a grant to a not-for-profit organization, to serve as liaison among State agencies and groups, to promote kinship care through conferences, and to provide the following services: organizing diverse, enriched, and culturally conscious kinship support groups and counseling; assisting with applying for benefits within the Family Community Resource Centers for those who qualify; publishing monthly newsletters; coordinating respite and crisis care services; assisting kinship caregivers with job readiness, job search, and job retention; and providing technical assistance to start up kinship support groups. Amends the Children and Family Services Act to provide for coordination with the grandparent child care program. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-4)

Status: (Passed) 2009-08-11 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-0276 [HB2365 Detail]

Text: Latest bill text (Enrolled) [HTML]

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Sponsors

Name	Type	Sponsorship	District	Financial	Encyclopedia	Biography
Representative Annazette Collins [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-010	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Maria Berrios [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-039	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative LaShawn Ford [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-008	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Kenneth Dunkin [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-005	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Karen Yarbrough [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-007	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative JoAnn Osmond [R]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-061	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Jim Sacia [R]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-089	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Senator Jil Tracy [R]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	SD-050	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Gregory Harris [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-013	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Elizabeth Hernandez [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-002	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Eddie Washington [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-060	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Deborah Graham [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-078	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Cynthia Soto [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-004	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Constance Howard [D]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-034	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative William Black [R]	Sponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-104	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart

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