Kinship parents can receive foster-level payments for six months

The Department of Human Services would pay an eligible kinship parent the same amount paid to a foster parent. This applies to a kinship parent caring for a child after an initial kinship placement. The parent must submit state and national criminal history checks within five days of the initial placement. The Department must be satisfied with the check results. The parent must complete the initial home screening and correct life-safety problems. The parent must pay the actual fingerprinting and criminal-history-check costs. The payment becomes payable within 30 days after the initial kinship placement and lasts no more than six months.

The Department of Human Services would stop the temporary increase if the kinship parent cannot or will not become certified as a foster parent. This applies to the temporary foster-level payment for kinship parents, not to other resources available to them. Other resources remain available regardless of whether the parent has foster-parent certification. The temporary increase ends at the close of the six-month period if the parent is unable or unwilling to become certified.

The Department may conduct state and national criminal history checks, and the records would generally be kept from private entities and public-record requests. These rules cover checks for applicants seeking a kinship placement under the temporary payment section. Records may be released to the person checked, with that person's written permission, or under a court order. The Department may submit fingerprints and allow authorized state and federal agencies to use the records for screening. The parent must complete the check as soon as possible after the original placement so the temporary payment can be processed promptly.