A Kinship Tax Credit
The Imprint is highlighting each of the policy recommendations made this summer by the participants of the Foster Youth Internship Program, a group of 12 former foster youth who have completed congressional internships.
The annual program is overseen by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that raises awareness about the needs of children without families. Each of the participants crafted a policy recommendation during their time in Washington, D.C.
Today we highlight the recommendation from Jamarri Maurice Kane-White, a senior at Howard University.
The Proposal
Kane-White calls for a federal kinship caregiver tax credit “to care for children outside of the child welfare system.” While he does not provide specifics, he also recommends that Congress build on the Family First Prevention Services Act with further restrictions on the use of federal funding to pay for congregate care.
The Argument
Millions of children live in the homes of relatives and other kin in America, and the vast majority are there by way of intrafamily arrangements, not due to child welfare system decisions. Many of these kin take on a significant financial burden, Kane-White notes, but very few are accessing the financial support necessary.
Meanwhile, he argues, the use of congregate care for children without a clinical reason to be in such placements remains high.
In Their Own Words
“I entered foster care because my family was financially unable to take me in, even though they wanted to. Once I entered foster care, I had seven different placements, including a negative experience in a group home.”
