Wisconsin Kinship Navigator Program - The proposed Wisconsin Kinship Navigator Program will establish a licensed, evidence-based navigation program that helps kinship caregivers secure the legal authority, financial resources, parenting supports, and community connections needed to care for children safely and sustainably. The initiative will serve both families involved with child welfare and families caring for children outside the formal system, while building the partnerships, data infrastructure, and financing strategy required for long-term statewide sustainability. Wisconsin has a substantial kinship care population but does not currently operate a federally recognized kinship navigator program. An estimated 25,000 children live in informal kinship care outside foster care. Another 2,408 children were reported in formal kinship foster care in the FY2025 federal data used for this analysis. Those data identify 1,578 children in unlicensed kinship homes and 830 in licensed kinship homes. The licensing split should not be treated as a confirmed description of current Wisconsin practice. Wisconsin's revised relative and like-kin licensing pathway became effective December 1, 2025, after the FY2025 reporting period, and KIDS MATTER INC. leadership understands current policy and practice not to permit unlicensed formal kinship homes. Kinship placements account for approximately 42 percent of Wisconsin's foster care population, which remains an important indicator of the scale of the population the initiative would serve. The proposed initiative would bring the Foster Kinship Navigator Program to Wisconsin through a licensed replication led by KIDS MATTER INC., with the support of Wisconsin DCF and coordination with participating counties or Tribes, as appropriate to the federal opportunity. The model is rated Promising by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse and is already implemented in Minnesota, Nevada, South Carolina, and Utah. Its two-tier structure combines universal information and referral for any kinship caregiver with more intensive case management for eligible families. The model is particularly well matched to Wisconsin's needs. Tier 1 can reach the large population of private and diverted kinship families who often have no open child welfare case. Tier 2 can help formal kinship caregivers address legal authority, financial stability, parenting and community connection, emotional support, licensing, and placement stability. The underlying Nevada evaluation included 1,116 families and found strong program fidelity and meaningful improvements in licensing, placement stability, and access to Child-Only TANF. The federal financing strategy can combine near-term discretionary ACF funding with longer-term Title IV-E reimbursement. KIDS MATTER INC. is eligible to apply for the discretionary opportunity and has secured the support of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. The grant can support startup activities such as model licensing, staff training, referral infrastructure, service launch, and early evaluation. A subsequent Title IV-E state plan amendment can create an ongoing 50 percent federal match for allowable kinship navigator costs. This sequence offers a practical path from KIDS MATTER-led startup and implementation to long-term state partnership and sustainability.
