Ms. McClellan testified regarding funding of the DC Office of the Ombudsperson for Children and the essential role if plays in ensuring the safety and well-being of DC children.

Ms. Taplin discussed the importance of funding the Grandparent and Relative Caregiver Program Subsidies, reducing barriers to access, and ensuring the timely and efficient processing of subsidy applications.

Ms. Spindel testified about the need to fully fund the DC Access to Justice Initiative, which funds legal services in DC.  She explained that funding the Initiative provides critical legal help to DC’s low-income residents, ensuring they receive the legal rights and financial assistance to which they are entitled.

Ms. Taplin discussed new requirements for caregivers to apply for the DC Grandparent Caregiver Program and Close Relative Caregiver Program, which are not required by applicable law and result in significant barriers to access the program subsidies.

Ms. McClellan testified about the Office of Ombudsperson for Children’s FY 2023 Annual Report and concerning issues raised therein about CFSA’s practice of kinship diversion, also known as hidden foster care.

The regulations were issued pursuant to the terms of a settlement agreement between DC KinCare Alliance and the DC Housing Authority (DCHA). The regulations are effective as of their date of publication on January 5, 2024.

The current cap on household income penalizes caregivers who still live in poverty but make a little bit over 200% of FPL.  We need to provide a foundation for caregivers to help them stabilize the children in their care by increasing the eligibility cap to 300% of FPL.

This legislation would raise the household income cap for eligibility for the subsidies from 200% to 300% of the Federal Poverty Line.  Relatives who take in children they never expected to raise are still in poverty at 300% of FPL, and need help to provide safe and stable homes for these children.

To recognize the importance of kinship families in the District of Columbia and the many benefits kinship caregivers bestow on the children in their care as well as the many challenges they face when raising these children, and to declare the month of September 2023 as “Kinship Care Month” in the District of Columbia.

The DC Council acted to ensure relatives caring for children with disabilities are treated fairly by providing that SSI should not be included in the calculation of household income and should not be deducted from the subsidy amount received under the Grandparent and Close Relative Caregiver Programs.

The letter urges DC’s Tax Revision Commission to make racial equity the goal of all its recommendations to the Mayor and DC Council.

Ms. Spindel testifies about the need to fully fund the Access to Justice Initiative in DC’s FY 2024 Budget so that DC legal services organizations can continue to provide desperately needed legal services to those most in need in our community.