For the last few years, lawmakers and kinship foster families have been pushing to increase the amount of money they receive each month to help raise the kids in their care. Yet another bill to do just that is moving through the Arizona Legislature.

In Arizona, a grandparent raising a grandchild receives roughly $300 a month less than a non-kin foster parent. Advocates have been trying to change that for years and they’ve made some progress, going from $75 a month to $300 in 2022. 

Sen. Lela Alston has been a champion for raising the kinship stipend and earlier this week, she once again went before her colleagues in the Legislature.

"And I had hoped we could raise it another $300 to put it up to $600, which isn't quite where the non-kinship families are, but it’s close."

Alston told lawmakers that more than 50% of children in foster care are living with kinship families.