The Legislature finds and declares that the continuation of the state-funded Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program is intended to enhance family preservation and stability by recognizing that some dependent children and wards of the juvenile court who are not otherwise eligible under Subtitle IV-E (commencing with Section 470) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 670 et seq.) are in long-term, stable placements with relatives, that these placements are the permanent plan for the child, that dependencies can be dismissed pursuant to Section 366.3 with legal guardianship granted to the relative, and that there is no need for continued governmental intervention in the family life through ongoing, scheduled court and social services supervision of the placement. Continuation of the state-funded Kin-GAP Program is necessary to ensure that wards and dependent children of the juvenile court whose placement in the home of an approved relative are equally eligible for the benefits derived from legal permanency with the related guardian and that the state can maximize improvements to federal permanency outcome measures by exiting nonfederally eligible youth to the state’s subsidized kinship guardianship program.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 43, Sec. 45. (AB 120) Effective July 10, 2023.)