The United States Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services challenging a decision that requires the state to pay relatives caring for children of family members to be paid the same as foster parents. Many times, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others are caring for children that have been removed from the parents through a court action. Previously, these persons often were saddled with the extra expense with limited or no resources to assist them with the additional costs. The article linked below sets out some examples of families that were saddled with high costs for the care of children and gives a good summary of how this will help those persons with those costs now.
Ironically, and rather sadly, the article specifically speaks about a family that was told that if they couldn't afford to care for the relative's children, the children would be placed in foster care. A very circular argument considering the Cabinet was seeking not to pay these persons while threatening to take the children and place them in the foster system where other people, generally strangers to the children, would then be paid to take care of the children. This will help to end this kind of nonsense. A major win for families trying to support one and another during already challenging times.
One thing that will surely come up going forward is the impact of having to pay considering that relative placement is the first option in these cases. Certainly, this could have an impact on the State budget. Something to watch. Have a read.