To serve as a foster parent, an individual must be vetted. When a placement involves placement with next of kin, the vetting process is a bit different. In the recent case of B.B. v. Hochul, a class action suit was filed against Hochul in her official capacity as governor, and Sheila J. Poole, in her official capacity as Commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). The plaintiffs were seeking to question the constitutionality of the process for screening kinship placements and the traditional grounds for rejecting a kinship placement.

Two state government agencies, and their policies are challenged in this case: the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). These state government agencies provide child welfare, juvenile justice and early care and education services. The agencies’ goals include “protecting and promoting the safety and well-being of New York City children and families.”