(a) Establishment of program.--The Kinship Care Program is established in the department.
(b) Relative notification.--Except in situations of family or domestic violence, the county agency shall exercise due diligence to identify and notify all grandparents and other adult relatives to the fifth degree of consanguinity or affinity to the parent or stepparent of a dependent child and each parent who has legal custody of a sibling of a dependent child within 30 days of the child's removal from the child's home if temporary legal and physical custody has been transferred to the county agency. The notice must explain all of the following:
(1) Any options under Federal and State law available to the relative to participate in the care and placement of the child, including any options that would be lost by failing to respond to the notice.
(2) The requirements to become a foster parent, permanent legal custodian or adoptive parent.
(3) The additional supports that are available for children removed from the child's home.
(c) Placement of children.--If a child has been removed from the child's home under a voluntary placement agreement or is in the legal custody of the county agency, the county agency shall give first consideration to placement with relatives or kin. The county agency shall document that an attempt was made to place the child with a relative or kin. If the child is not placed with a relative or kin, the agency shall document the reason why the placement was not possible.
(d) Regulations.--The department is authorized to promulgate regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. The regulations shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) Relatives and kin shall receive the same foster care rate as other foster parents if they comply with the regulations governing foster parents.
(2) Foster care payments received by a relative or kin who is a foster parent shall be excluded from consideration when calculating eligibility for public assistance.