Bill > HB4697

This bill modifies the eligibility requirements for guardianship assistance payments, which are financial supports provided to guardians to help care for children who cannot return to their biological parents. Specifically, it allows a prospective guardian to be approved for these payments if the child has lived with them for at least six months and the guardian is either a relative or a licensed foster parent. The bill also clarifies that the approval process for guardians will include thorough background checks, such as criminal record and child abuse registry checks, for the guardian and all adults in their home, and requires fingerprint submission for federal and state criminal history checks. It further specifies that relative guardians caring for a child in an approved foster home for six months after licensure are eligible for federal funding under Title IV-E, a federal program that provides financial assistance for eligible children. For children not eligible for Title IV-E funding, state-funded guardianship assistance may be available if they meet other requirements. The bill also addresses situations where a child is eligible for Title IV-E guardianship assistance but a sibling is not, allowing both to be placed together with relative guardians and receive Title IV-E payments for each sibling if the arrangement is deemed appropriate. Finally, it confirms that successor guardians, those who take over guardianship from the original guardian, can also receive these payments if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Housing and Urban Affairs, Military Affairs and Security

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4697