HR 9796: Supporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026

HR 9796 in plain English: This bill, called the Supporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026, would provide support for families where grandparents or other relatives are raising children. It includes $10,000,000 in funding available through September 30, 2031, administered by a federal Secretary.

Stated purpose

This bill aims to reestablish a National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship Families by appropriating $10 million to provide training, resources, and coordination support to organizations that serve families where grandparents or other relatives are raising children.

Key points

• Provides $10,000,000 to support families where grandparents or relatives are raising children
• Funding remains available through September 30, 2031
• Referred to multiple House committees including Education and Workforce, Financial Services, Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce

Arguments supporters make

• Grandparents and other relatives who step in to raise children — often in crisis situations like parental addiction or incarceration — face unique challenges, and a dedicated national center gives them and the organizations serving them specialized, coordinated support they otherwise lack.
• The bill prioritizes older caregivers (55+) and children with disabilities, targeting limited resources toward the most vulnerable and underserved kinship families.
• Requiring the grant recipient to be a nonprofit with a proven track record and direct engagement with grandfamilies helps ensure the money goes to organizations with real expertise rather than bureaucratic overhead.

Arguments opponents make

• A one-time $10 million appropriation routed through a single nonprofit center may be too small and too indirect to meaningfully improve outcomes for the large and geographically dispersed population of kinship families across the country.
• Critics may argue that funding a national technical assistance center adds an administrative layer — helping organizations that help families — rather than delivering dollars directly to the caregivers and children who need it most.
• The bill reestablishes a center that previously existed under the American Rescue Plan Act, raising questions about why the original center ended and whether recurring federal funding for this function is sustainable or will require repeated reauthorization.

Tradeoffs

The bill channels limited funds toward building capacity in the organizations that serve kinship families rather than providing direct financial relief to those families themselves, trading immediate caregiver support for longer-term systemic improvement. It also concentrates grant authority in a single qualifying nonprofit, which may ensure expertise but reduces competition and geographic reach.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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