Children's Bureau Express

Subsidized Guardianship Programs to Benefit Hispanic Children

As part of its "Uniting Generations to Support Children in Foster Care" project funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, Generations United has issued a new report on subsidized guardianship arrangements for children in long-term relative foster care. The report supports the benefits of subsidized guardianship in providing permanency for these children, including a large number of Hispanic children who remain in State custody.

According to the report, more than one-third of all Hispanic children in foster care live with a relative. In most cases, these children are not able to make a quick exit out of the system due to a lack of permanency options, including subsidized guardianship programs that would allow the relative caregiver to continue to receive payments after assuming guardianship. For children for whom reunification or adoption is not possible, court-awarded guardianship to a relative caregiver has been found to be a viable option. Guardianship with relatives also affords the benefits of a family milieu that promotes cultural identification and continuity.

The report was the subject of a Congressional Hispanic Caucus briefing that took place on September 19, 2007. It can be viewed online in English and Spanish:

www.gu.org/Brief9131633.asp

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