H.R. 9796: Supporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026

This bill would restore and fund a federal

National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship Families

In practical terms, the bill would:

• Provide $10 million for fiscal year 2027 to create or reopen the Center, with the money available through September 30, 2031.
• Have HHS operate the Center through a grant or contract, led by the Assistant Secretary for Aging in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families.
• Require the Center to offer training, technical assistance, coordination, and resources to organizations that serve grandfamilies and kinship families—families in which children are being raised by relatives or other caregivers instead of their parents.
• Focus especially on families where the primary caregiver is age 55 or older, or where the child has a disability.

The bill would direct the Center to help with several kinds of support, including:

• Developing and sharing evidence-based practices and programs.
• Improving coordination of services across systems that support these families.
• Helping states, territories, Indian Tribes, urban Indian organizations, and Tribal organizations learn from each other and share technical assistance.
• Helping community organizations, government programs, and Tribal entities plan and coordinate services.
• Helping these groups tailor services to the specific needs of grandfamilies and kinship families.
• Including attention to opioid and other substance use issues, which can be a reason children are placed with relatives or other caregivers.

The bill also sets qualifications for the nonprofit organization that would run the Center. That organization would need to have:

• Demonstrated expertise in issues affecting grandfamilies and kinship families, including those involved with child welfare systems.
• Experience providing technical assistance to organizations serving these families, including Tribal organizations.
• Experience building peer learning networks and connections among service providers.
• A history of involving grandfamilies and kinship families in its work and getting their feedback.
• Experience helping organizations adapt services to the needs of these families.

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