OPINION: North Carolina says family comes first. Our foster care policies should, too

When a child cannot safely remain at home, the next best place is usually with someone they already know.

A grandmother.
An aunt.
A trusted family friend.

We say family comes first in North Carolina. But some of our foster care policies create difficulties and barriers.

Our state is facing a shortage of licensed foster homes. That reality makes it even more urgent to identify and support kinship caregivers, relatives and other trusted adults who can step in during a crisis.

Research consistently shows that children placed with relatives or trusted adults experience greater stability and better mental and behavioral health outcomes than those placed with non-kin foster parents.

Yet in 2023, only 24% of children in North Carolina foster care were placed in relative homes, compared to 31% nationally.

That gap represents children who could be with their families but are not.

North Carolina has made progress. The state created an Unlicensed Kinship Care Payment Program in 2023 and expanded the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program. Those are important steps.

But barriers remain.

Unlicensed relatives receive significantly less financial support than licensed foster parents, even though they are meeting the same daily needs. And our licensing process can be rigid and burdensome for caregivers who are already safely caring for a child.

State law requires at least 30 hours of pre-service training. Limited exceptions exist for relatives, but trusted non-relatives are not included in the statutory definition. A longtime family friend who has been part of a child’s life for years must complete the full training requirement with no flexibility.

In 2023, the federal government gave states the option to create separate licensing standards for kinship homes. These standards maintain safety while reducing unnecessary barriers. North Carolina has not yet established a kin-specific pathway.

Other states have moved forward. We should, too.

Next session, lawmakers can take practical steps:

• Expand the legal definition of “relative” to include trusted non-relatives and allow reduced training requirements for eligible caregivers.
• Establish kin-specific licensing standards that keep children safe while removing unnecessary delays.
• Create a statewide kinship navigator program so families can access consistent support, regardless of where they live.
• Increase transparency and public reporting to ensure we are truly prioritizing kin placements.

As a foster mom, I have seen the difference when a child can stay with their family. There is less disruption layered onto trauma. There is continuity, connection and belonging.

If we believe children belong with family whenever safely possible, our laws should make that easier, not harder. The next session is our chance to align policy with that promise.

Gaile Osborne is executive director of the Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina and a foster mom. Republished from NC Newsline.