SPRINGFIELD (25News Now) – The clock is ticking for the state House of Representatives to approve a bill that child advocates think is the right move to help children now in foster care.

In November, the Senate approved The KIND Act, or Kinship in Demand.

This bill prioritizes relatives as legal guardians for kids in foster care and could require the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services [DCFS] to focus on those placements first.

It could allow DCFS to pursue access to federal funds to give to the relatives taking those children in, as well as doing background checks.

“The KIND Act would show that foster kids can stay within their community, so they don’t lose that bond with their family,” said The Director of Foster Care for Children’s Home Association of Illinois, Michelle Hayes. “It’s difficult and traumatizing to come into foster care, but if we can keep the children with their family or with relative placements or anyone they’ve known in their past, then it’s more helpful.”

According to the Illinois ACLU, more than 10,000 young people living in DCFS care live with relatives, yet 60 percent of the caregivers are denied foster care benefits.

State Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) said children typically do better living with people they know.

“We’re trying to make it easier for the families and a better living situation for the foster child themselves by having them move in with someone they know,” said Koehler. “But that relative probably needs financial help to do that.”

The State General Assembly will meet for a lame-duck session over the weekend, which will be the last chance to pass the bill before the process would have to start over again.

Koehler also said he’s hopeful for this change.

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