Kinship licensing erodes safety checks

Illinois’ new kinship‑care standards, adopted alongside the KIND Act, reportedly do not bar applicants with substantiated child‑abuse findings and do not require considering repeated unsubstantiated reports or misdemeanor convictions when licensing paid caregivers. Intended to speed relative placements, these rules can weaken the screening that protects vulnerable children. — If kinship expansions trade away vetting, other states may copy a model that increases placement but reduces safety, forcing a rethink of 'best practice' in child welfare.