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House approves one-time stipend for kinship caregivers to ease initial placement costs

2387940 ยท February 25, 2025
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Summary

House Bill 431 creates an opt-in one-time stipend for kinship families to help cover immediate needs when a child enters their care; the bill passed unanimously 68-0 and sponsors said it is distinct from foster payments and capped.

The Utah House on Feb. 25, 2025, unanimously approved second substitute House Bill 431 to provide short-term financial help to relatives who take children into kinship care. The motion passed by voice and was recorded on the roll call as 68-0.

Sponsor Representative Acton described the measure as a response to a statewide gap: when children enter traditional foster care, payments and supports are available, but kinship placements often receive no initial financial help. "These financial factors are real," Acton said, and the bill offers a limited, opt-in stipend to help kinship families cover immediate expenses such as clothing, diapers or child care. She said the payment will be capped and is smaller than regular foster payments; families can choose to become licensed foster families later (which typically takes about seven months) and then receive the standard foster support.

Representative Watkins asked whether the bill encourages kin families to become licensed foster parents to receive full foster benefits. Acton replied that licensing is an option but the stipend is intended to bridge the first months when families may otherwise decline placements for lack of resources. Representative Grama spoke in support, noting guardrails to avoid creating financial incentives to accept children for payment rather than care.

Voting on the second substitute yielded 68 yea votes and 0 nays. The House transmitted the bill to the Senate for consideration.

Provenance: Sponsor remarks and member questions appear on the floor transcript at s~803's~1009; the vote tally is recorded later on the transcript at s~1287.

Ending: The bill passed the House unanimously. The sponsor and supporters said the stipend is designed to increase children's stability by keeping them with relatives and to reduce trauma associated with foster placement transitions.