This amendment is a recommendation from the Safe and Sound Task Force. It provides funding for five positions to collaborate with local departments to facilitate approval of kinship foster parents through engagement, assessment, and training of relatives when children enter foster care. Additionally, it creates a pilot program to facilitate family based placements for foster children at risk of being placed or placed in a congregate care setting. Lastly, this amendment provides funding to develop initiatives to support in-state placements for high acuity foster care children, in order to help prevent institutionalization for high acuity foster children. Funding, including funding for the five positions, is provided in the first year only.