Senators Hassan and Collins Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Grandfamilies Affected by Fentanyl Crisis and Substance Misuse

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) reintroduced the bipartisan Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act to better support kinship caregivers – the vast majority of whom are grandparents – who have taken over as primary caregivers for children exposed to substance misuse or other trauma. The bipartisan bill would encourage state and local child welfare agencies to work with the National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship Families. Congress created this Center through the American Rescue Plan to provide comprehensive services and support to grandparents who have taken over as primary caregivers.

“Families in New Hampshire and across the country have been devastated by the fentanyl crisis,” said Senator Hassan. “As a result, grandparents often step up and play a large role in caring for their grandchildren while a parent is dealing with addiction. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill that helps grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren.” 

“As the opioid epidemic continues to devastate families across Maine, grandparents increasingly are being called on to become the primary caregivers of their grandchildren. Although this caretaker role can be a source of tremendous comfort and stability for families, it also presents several challenges,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would provide grandparents access to important resources they need to help their grandchildren succeed.”

The Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act would:

• Help to ensure that grandfamilies and all kinship families are eligible for services under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).
• Provide additional support to these families to meet the unique needs of children who have experienced trauma, including being exposed to substance misuse. 
• Call for specialized training to help kinship caregivers navigate the complicated supports and services they may be eligible for.
• Coordinate with the National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship Families that Congress created in the American Rescue Plan to disseminate information on best practices used to support children being raised in kinship families within, or outside of, the child welfare system.

A one pager of the bill is available here.

Senator Hassan has led efforts to support communities devastated by the fentanyl crisis. Since 2017, Senator Hassan has successfully worked to secure a nine-fold increase in funding to New Hampshire to address the substance use disorder epidemic. Senator Hassan also successfully passed into law her bipartisan bill to permanently expand coverage for medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder under Medicaid as well as her bipartisan bill to expand access to short-term inpatient treatment at addiction treatment facilities under Medicaid. In 2022, Senator Hassan successfully passed into law her bipartisan Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, to increase the number of medical professionals authorized to prescribe the gold standard of opioid treatment.

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