PHX Reporter

Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ) has signed a bill giving a boost to grandparents and other relatives who raise children in kinship care, delivering on a promise he made during his State of the State address.

House Bill 2274, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Weninger (R-Chandler), will increase kinship stipend from $75 to $300 a month, according to the Office of the Governor. The measure pairs with HB 2084, which allows the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) to make a swift path to licensure for kin. Caregivers who are licensed will have the same financial support as foster care providers.

“Today I signed HB 2274 to bring much-needed support to kinship families in Arizona — especially those grandparents who have stepped up to raise their grandchildren when the parents were unable to safely do so,” Ducey said, according to his website. “For too long, these grandparents have been given a dramatically lower level of support than foster parents — but that is about to end. I called for this important reform in my State of the State address in January, and I am very pleased to sign it into law today.”

Ducey gave credit to Weninger for sponsoring the bill and “for all the work he has done to protect vulnerable children and families throughout his years in the Legislature.”

“Arizona is so grateful to all those who support children in DCS care. Kinship families, foster families, nonprofit organizations providing support, Court Appointed Special Advocates and case workers,” Ducey said, according to his website.

Weninger said the bill was an important step in protecting families.

“Raising the kinship stipend is so important for Arizona families,” Weninger said, according to the governor's website. “Having a familial relationship at home sets our kids on the right path and eases the transition for reunification. Too many selfless grandparents and close family members couldn’t afford to be kinship caregivers. Now, we’ll help keep these families together.”

Kinship families include extended members of the family, such as grandparents or aunts and uncles, who become caregivers for children in the care of the DCS.

“For more than a decade, Arizona Grandparent Ambassadors and Kinship Caregivers have told our stories of the challenges and joys of raising relative children when their parents cannot,” Ann Nichols, chair of the Arizona Grandparent Ambassadors and Kinship Caregivers, told the Office of the Governor. “This year, thanks to the championship of Gov. Ducey and the support of the Legislature, our advocacy was successful in increasing stipends for foster children placed with kin from $75 per month to $300 — a true investment in strengthening kinship families.”