Many caregivers are unaware of the ongoing legislation regarding kinship care issues. There are many individuals aggressively pursuing additional rights and resources for kinship caregivers, and it is important that all kinship caregivers be aware of pending legislative issues.

• House Bill 211 (Power of Attorney and Kinship Affidavit)
• House Bill 211 (Power of Attorney and Kinship Affidavit) was introduced by Representative Linda Reidelbach. The following information will give you some insight into this current Legislative Bill.
• Power of Attorney: To be used in consensual situations where custody is involved.
• Kinship Affidavit: To be used when a child is residing with a relative/kinship caregiver, and the whereabouts of the custodial parent are unknown.
• Both Processes Address the Challenges Kinship Caregivers Experience When:
  • Enrolling a child(ren) in school
  • Participating in educational services and decisions
  • Accessing routine or emergency medical care

As an additional note, Governor Robert Taft has written a letter in support of House Bill 211. Eighteen (18) other states (e.g. North Carolina, Delaware, California, etc.) already have such a Bill.

In order for Legislative Bills such as House Bill 211 to pass, kinship caregivers are encouraged to write to their local governmental representatives. If you would like to write your representative in support of House Bill 211, here is a suggested letter sample you could use:

Dear…

I would like to urge you to support House Bill 211, which will permit kinship caregivers to register children they are raising, in school, and obtain medical care for these children.

Grandparents and other relatives raising kin often face major hardships with these basic issues. Sometimes going to court makes really bad situations intolerable for the children. With this procedure in place, a solution will exist for many relative caregiver families.

I would appreciate your support.

For additional information regarding House Bill 211, please consult the 124th Ohio General Assembly website at www.legislature.state.oh.us/search.cfm.