{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-introduces-2-bipartisan-bills-support-grandfamilies-kinship", "Thompson Introduces 2 Bipartisan Bills to Support Grandfamilies, Kinship Caregivers, Children", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Glenn Thompson", "T000467", "thompson.house.gov", "thompson", "https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 This week, U.S Representative Glenn \u201cGT\u201d Thompson (R-PA), introduced two bipartisan bills that would provide support, resources, and safeguards to grandfamilies, kinship caregivers, and the children under their guardianship.\n\nRep. Thompson introduced the Supporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026 and the Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act.\n\nAbout 2.5 million children across the United States are being raised in grandfamilies, in which grandparents raise children, or kinship families, in which adult relatives or close family friends raise children. These families play an essential role in preserving family connections, preventing children from entering foster care, and promoting family stability. Without these caregivers, the foster care system would be overwhelmed and cost taxpayers an additional $10.5 billion annually.\n\nSupporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026\n\nLed by U.S Representatives Glenn \u201cGT\u201d Thompson (R-PA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Zach Nunn (R-IA), and Danny Davis (D-IL), the bill would reauthorize the National Technical Assistance Center (TA Center) on Grandfamilies & Kinship Families to strengthen the support provided for these families.\n\nThe Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network is the TA Center led by Generations United through a five-year cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The TA Center brings together national experts and partner organizations to develop evidence-based tools and promote innovative practices that help communities better meet the needs of kinship families and grandfamilies. The Supporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026 guarantees these valued programs succeed by providing funding for the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network for another five years.\n\n\u201cWe can do a better job at helping primary caregivers navigate the child welfare system. The Supporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026 will provide caregivers, who tend to be older adults, access to the resources they need, so their primary focus can be placed on raising their loved ones,\" Rep. Thompson said.\n\n\u201cLiving with grandparents or extended family and friends can provide children with the stability they need to thrive when their parents aren\u2019t able to care for them,\u201d Rep. Bonamici said. \u201cWe must support these essential caregivers, who often face additional barriers. The bipartisan Supporting Grandfamilies Act will extend support for families and children at a critical time in their lives.\u201d\n\n\"Not every family looks the same. Kelly and I adopted two of our daughters, and across the country, there are 2.5 million kids being raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other relatives \u2014 not because of a government mandate, but because family stepped up when the alternative was foster care,\" Rep. Nunn said. \"Those caregivers said yes without hesitation, often with little warning and fewer resources. Our bill reauthorizes the Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network for another five years to ensure that when a family steps up, they aren\u2019t navigating that journey alone.\"\n\n\u201cMy Congressional District historically has the highest percentage of children living with kinship caregivers in the country,\u201d Rep. Davis said. \u201cI am proud to join with Representatives Bonamici, Thompson, and Nunn in leading the Supporting Grandfamilies Act to ensure that the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network continues providing the critical and coordinated support to kinship and grandparent caregivers. For these families, connections to extra resources serve as crucial lifelines. Supporting kinship caregivers strengthens families, promotes stability, and helps children thrive.\u201d\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\nHelp Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act\n\nThis legislation, introduced by U.S. Representatives Glenn \u201cGT\u201d Thompson (R-PA), and Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) would strengthen support for grandfamilies and other kinship caregivers by ensuring they have access to the services and resources they need to help children thrive.\n\nGrandfamilies and Kinship Caregivers often receive little or no support to meet the complex needs of children, especially those who have experienced trauma, and are left to navigate complicated child welfare support systems on their own.\n\n\"Stability is the foundation for a child's quality of life and future success. For many children, this stability is found in the care of a grandparent or kinship caregiver who can provide a safe and loving home,\" Rep. Thompson said. \"I am proud to support the Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act to ensure these caregivers and children have access to the services they need.\"\n\n\u201cNavigating the child welfare system can be a stressful experience for children and caregivers already experiencing hardship, especially grandfamilies,\u201d Rep. Scanlon said. \u201cIt\u2019s important that we abolish systemic barriers that prevent all children and families from successfully navigating the child welfare system. I\u2019m proud to introduce the Help Grandfamilies Prevent Abuse Act to set up children and families for brighter futures.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe National Foster Youth Institute proudly supports the Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act because it reflects what young people with lived experience have shared with us for years: kinship caregivers should be the first stop and are often the reason children remain connected to their family, culture, identity, and community, yet too many are left to do it without the support they need,\u201d said Cortez L. Carey, Director of Government Relations at the National Foster Youth Institute. \u201cWe believe preserving those cultural connections is essential to a child's well-being. By investing in grandparents, relatives, and other trusted caregivers, this legislation strengthens families, honors cultural preservation, and helps more children heal, thrive, and have a support system beyond the age of 18.\u201d\n\nThe Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act would:\n\nEnsure that grandfamilies and all kinship families are eligible for services under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).\n\nProvide additional support to these families to meet the unique needs of children who have experienced trauma, including being exposed to substance misuse.\n\nCall for specialized training to help kinship caregivers navigate the complicated supports and services they may be eligible to receive.\n\nCoordinate with the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center that Congress created to disseminate information on best practices used to support children being raised in kinship families within or outside of the child welfare system.", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-introduces-2-bipartisan-bills-support-grandfamilies-kinship"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2363179121166468, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}