Grandparents raising their grandchildren would get a helping hand from the state under legislation Governor Sebelius is expected to sign.
The new aid is part of a wide-ranging bill upping what nursing care residents can keep from their Social Security checks and barring hunting and fishing licenses for parents behind in child support payments.
Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran says the money for the program is already in the budget to finance state government after July first -- and that the governor plans to sign the legislation before the May 26th deadline.
Under the proposal, grandparents with legal custody of a grandchild would receive $200 a month, with a limit of $600 for three grandchildren. To qualify, grandparents must be at least 50 years old with a household income of less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level. That's $21,580 for a household of three.
Such a program would allow more children from troubled families to be raised by grandparents instead of being placed in state custody and foster homes.