IV-B Reauthorization Moves Forward with Adoption and Permanency Provisions

Aug 5

On July 24, the House Ways and Means Committee passed legislation (H.R. 9076) that would reauthorize child welfare-related programs under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act. The legislation was passed on a unanimous, bipartisan vote of 38-0. It should pass easily on the floor of the House when Congress returns from its August recess in September.

The Senate may or may not take up similar legislation this fall. If not, there is a strong likelihood that a package negotiated between the House and Senate would be included in omnibus legislation after the election. Prospects for final passage would likely depend on the larger bill, not the specifics of this legislation, which commands broad bipartisan support.

Voice for Adoption played a very active role in the development of this legislation and is among the 50+ organizations that have endorsed it. Several VFA member organizations have also endorsed the legislation, including the Child Welfare League of America, National Foster Parent Association, Adoption Rhode Island, Brightpoint, Center for Adoption Support and Education, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Families Rising, Foster-Adopt Connect, Northwest Resource Associates, Spaulding for Children, and TRAC Services for Families.

Other national organizations endorsing the legislation include the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Bar Association, American Public Human Services Association, Children’s Defense Fund, Children’s Home Society of America, Generations United, National Association of Counties, National Council for Adoption, and National Indian Child Welfare Association, among others.

VFA played the lead role on two sections of the bill, including:

Evidence-building for Family First Prevention Services (Section 8): This section of the bill sets aside $5 million per year for evaluations of programs that are categorically eligible for funding under the Family First Prevention Services Act. This legislation builds on the $2 million per year that is already being set aside specifically for evaluating post-adoption programs that could qualify for funding under Family First (a VFA-supported priority that is discussed below in the article on the Adoption Opportunities program).
Report on Post-adoption and Subsidized Guardianship Services (Section 16): This section of the bill directs HHS to release a report on adoption and subsidized guardianship services within two years of the date of enactment. The report must include the latest information on adoption disruption and dissolution for children adopted from the foster care system and factors associated with those disruptions and dissolutions, including whether the children received pre- or post-adoption services. The report must summarize post-adoption and guardianship-related services in each state, including the amount and sources of funding and the extent to which these services are evidence-based or evidence-informed.

Other sections of the bill, some of which were supported or influenced by VFA, include the following:

Reauthorization of Child Welfare Programs (Section 3): This section of the bill reauthorizes all Title IV-B programs through FY 2029. It provides increased funding for Title IV-B subpart 2 (Promoting Safe and Stable Families) programs.
Court Improvement Program (Section 4): This section of the bill increases funding for the Court Improvement Program (CIP) from $30 million to $40 million beginning in FY 2026. Among other provisions, this section allows funds to be used to support technology-based remote hearings. It also directs HHS to consult with tribes on state court proceedings involving Indian children to support compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
Regional Partnership Grants / Substance Abuse (Section 5): This section of the bill increases funding for Regional Partnership Grants (RPG) from $20 to $30 million beginning in FY 2026. It also modernizes and improves the RPG program in a variety of ways
Modernization and Reduction of Administrative Burdens (Section 6):This section of the bill reduces administrative burdens on recipients of Title IV-B funding by directing HHS, in consultation with states, tribes, and territories, to review and revise administrative requirements related to paperwork and data collection forms to reduce hours spent on compliance by at least 15 percent. It also allows spending under the four set-aside categories in the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program, including the Adoption Promotion and Support category, on family resource centers so long as the spending is consistent with the overall purpose of the category.
Streamlining Funding for Indian Tribes (Section 7): This section of the bill provides new funding and streamlines existing regulatory requirements for Indian tribes that operate child welfare programs. The provisions include a new 3 percent set-aside under Title IV-B, Subpart 1.
Youth Aging Out of Foster Care (Section 9): This section of the bill allows states to offer virtual caseworker visits for foster youth who have attained age 18. It also directs states to develop their IV-B plans in consultation with parents, adoptive parents, kinship caregivers, and children, youth, and young adults with lived experience in the child welfare system.
Relative and Kinship Caregivers (Section 10): This section of the bill amends the definitions of three of the categories of allowable spending under Title IV-B Subpart 2 (family preservation services, family support services, and family reunification services) to include kinship families. It also allows spending under all four categories, including the Adoption Promotion and Support category, for peer-to-peer mentoring (VFA endorsed similar legislation). It also provides $10 million for competitive grants to provide services and support the transition to evidence-based kinship navigator programs.
Avoiding Neglect by Addressing Poverty (Section 11): This section of the bill directs states to include in their state plans a description of policies intended to prevent the separation of a child and parent solely on the basis of poverty. It allows spending for this purpose under the various categories of funding under the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Act, including the Adoption Promotion and Support set-aside, so long as the spending is consistent with the overall purpose of the category. It also amends the definition of family preservation services to include short-term benefits that address a specific crisis, situation, or event affecting the ability of a child to remain in a home. VFA member Foster-Adopt Connect supported this legislation, which was backed by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) and Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI). VFA also endorsed this part of the bill.
Caseworkers (Section 12): This section of the bill provides $26 million per year starting in FY 2026 to bolster the workforce in a variety of ways. Funding may be used to reduce caseload ratios, alleviate administrative burdens, increase retention, recruitment, and training of caseworkers, and enhance caseworker safety.
Incarcerated Parents (Section 13): This section of the bill authorizes $35 million per year for programs that facilitate meaningful relationships between foster children and their incarcerated parents.
Residential Treatment Program Data & Reporting (Section 14): This section of the bill directs HHS and other federal agencies to develop best practices for collecting data and sharing information related to placements of foster youth in residential treatment facilities.
Streamlining Research, Training, and Technical Assistance Funding (Section 15): This section of the bill eliminates the $6 million research set-aside, but provides $1 million in discretionary funding for Regional Partnership Grants to support evaluations of programs for inclusion in the Family First Prevention Services evidence-based clearinghouse. It also provides $1 million for HHS technical assistance to support effective implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).