ID S1266

Reduces the timeline for filing petitions to terminate parental rights from the fifteenth month to the twelfth month when a child has been in department custody for 12 of the most recent 22 months

Expands the definition of "kin" to include all relatives, extended family members, and those with significant family-like relationships with a child, and renames "relative foster care" to "kinship foster care"

Clarifies that extended foster care orders for persons ages 18-23 require review hearings every 6 months, with the standard 2-month review hearing timeline not applying to these cases

Expands foster care and foster home definitions to explicitly include care provided by kin when placement is made by the department and the kin is licensed

Declares an emergency and establishes an effective date of July 1, 2026