About a quarter of a million Texas kids live with some family member, or close friend, other than their parents. This keeps them out of foster care, but can put a financial strain on their caregivers, for which there's little public financial support. Should there be?
A senior policy analyst with the progressive think tank, the Center for Public Policy Priorities, last month told Houston Public Media's Carrie Feibel what little financial aid exists for such "kinship caregivers" should be increased to match the money provided to foster parents. But why should taxpayers support child care costs for a grandparent, or aunt or uncle, in a way they would not support costs for parents?
We ask Katherine Barillas, Director of Child Welfare Policy at One Voice Texas, a non-profit health and human services advocacy group.
