By Phil Riske | Managing Editor, Rose Law Group Reporter
STATE CAPITOL – Working on Presidents Day, the Arizona Senate on Monday passed a child welfare bill that would provide certain grandparents with a monthly stipend for taking care of foster children.
The measure, SB1090, provides that a grandparent or great-grandparent who is a foster parent or guardian of a child placed by Child Protective Services or pursuant to a court order is eligible for a monthly stipend of $75 per child from DES if the grandparent or great-grandparent has income that does not exceed 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
The Senate sent the bill on to the House on a 29-1 vote.
Phoenix Republican Nancy Barto says grandparents bring an obvious value to their families.
“It’s irreplaceable, the love and support that they provide, so it’s a very worthy discussion to have,” Barto said, but added, “The issue is probably going to be the budget, and whether or not it fits into the big budget picture for the year.”
