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House adopts amendment to ease licensing for kinship caregivers, lowers minimum age to 18
Summary
Lawmakers adopted Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 415 to align state kinship caregiver licensing with federal standards by lowering the minimum age from 21 to 18 and establishing a statutory definition for kinship caregivers; the bill received second reading on the floor.
The House adopted Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 415, a bill described by Representative Bernstein as easing licensing standards for kinship caregivers and lowering the minimum age requirement from 21 to 18.
Miss Bernstein explained the measure as a priority for the Department of Social Services and said it assigns a statutory definition for kinship caregivers — relatives or adults with a significant emotional relationship who provide day‑to‑day care when parents cannot. "This bill would assign a statutory definition for licensed and lower the minimum age requirement for kinship care parents from 21 to 18," Bernstein said on the floor.
She told members the change helps the state comply with federal standards and will make kinship placements that keep children with family or close caregivers more feasible. The House adopted Amendment 1 by voice vote and later recorded that Senate 415, as amended, received second reading.
Next steps: the bill, having received second reading as amended, will return for further consideration in subsequent floor action.
