Idaho Bill Puts Grandparents First For Foster Care of Grandchildren

AARP Strongly Supports Measure Focusing on Family Caring for Children When Parents are Unable or Unwilling

BOISE, Idaho, March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Harsh economic times, drugs, abuse, abandonment and incarceration are just some of the reasons 9% of all children live with their grandparents.  Now, Idaho is one step closer to a new law to help grandparents gain full legal custody when it's in the child's best interest.  

Yesterday, the Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee unanimously voted to move forward with legislation (HB 610), introduced by Representative Sharon Block, to put grandparents and other relatives at the top of the list for consideration as foster parents. The legislation was co-sponsored by Senator Patti Anne Lodge and Representatives Richard Wills and Representative Lynn Luker.  AARP strongly supports the "grandparenting" bill.

"AARP commends Representative Block for her leadership in helping to ensure children from broken homes don't have to lead broken lives," said Peggy Munson, Volunteer State President for AARP in Idaho.  "This legislation recognizes the unique role grandparents play in their grandchildren's lives – and that sometimes, the best place for children who've already seen difficult times is with family members."

Key provisions of the grandparenting bill include:

• Establishing a priority list for foster care, placing fit and willing grandparents and other relatives first in line for consideration.  
• Expediting the process for foster care approval for relatives when it's in the best interest of the child.  
• Giving grandparents better standing to become foster parents of their grandchildren when the parent has failed to maintain a relationship with the child for one year.  

"Children deserve to have a solid family foundation from which to build upon and this bill works towards that goal," added Munson.  "AARP urges the House to approve this bill."

In Idaho nearly 20,000 children live in households headed by over 9,000 grandparents. Nationally, 6.6 million grandchildren live in households headed by grandparents, while another 1.5 million live in homes headed by other relatives.  Grandparents raising their grandchildren represent the fastest growing type of family in the nation. In many cases grandparents are responsible for meeting all the child's needs without the legal authorization to do so.  

AARP is Idaho's largest membership organization with over 180,000 members.

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SOURCE AARP Idaho