Bill expands child welfare help to kids raised by relatives.
H.R. 9878 — Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act · Filed by Mary Scanlon (D-PA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 22, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
The bill changes federal child welfare law. It helps children raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives outside foster care. States that get federal money must prioritize placing children with relatives. States must hire kinship navigators to help these families. States must provide training on trauma and mental health. States must track how these children are doing.
Who it affects
The bill helps 2.4 million children raised by relatives instead of parents. It affects state child welfare agencies that receive federal grants. It affects kinship caregivers and support organizations.
One thing to notice
The bill does not say where the money comes from. States may need to use money they already have.
From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.
Where it stands
2 cosponsors: 1 Democrats, 1 Republicans.
- Jul 22, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jul 22, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Education and Workforce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Words to know
- kinship navigators — People hired to help families find services when a relative raises a child.
- federal grants — Money the federal government gives to states for programs.
- federal money — Funds provided by the federal government to states and agencies.
- child welfare — Laws and services that protect children from abuse and neglect.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (4,705 characters) on Aug 12, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 14,707 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-09-23.
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