§ 629g.
(b)
Reservation of certain amounts
From the amount (if any) appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve amounts as follows:
(1)
Evaluation, research, training, and technical assistance
(2)
State court improvements
(3)
Indian tribes or tribal consortia
(4)
Improving the interstate placement of children
(f)
Targeted grants to implement IV–E prevention services, and improve the well-being of, and improve permanency outcomes for, children and families affected by heroin, opioids, and other substance abuse
(2)
Regional partnership defined
In this subsection, the term “regional partnership” means a collaborative agreement (which may be established on an interstate, State, or intrastate basis) entered into by the following:
(A)
Mandatory partners for all partnership grants
(i)
The State child welfare agency that is responsible for the administration of the State plan under this part and part E.
(ii)
The State agency responsible for administering the substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant provided under subpart II of part B of title XIX of the Public Health Service Act [
42 U.S.C. 300x–21 et seq.].
(B)
Mandatory partners for partnership grants proposing to serve children in out-of-home placements
(C)
Optional partners
At the option of the partnership, any of the following:
(i)
An Indian tribe or tribal consortium.
(ii)
Nonprofit child welfare service providers.
(iii)
For-profit child welfare service providers.
(iv)
Community health service providers, including substance abuse treatment providers.
(v)
Community mental health providers.
(vi)
Local law enforcement agencies.
(viii)
Tribal child welfare agencies (or a consortia of the agencies).
(ix)
Any other providers, agencies, personnel, officials, or entities that are related to the provision of child and family services under a State plan approved under this subpart.
(D)
Exception for regional partnerships where the lead applicant is an Indian tribe or tribal consortia
If an Indian tribe or tribal consortium enters into a regional partnership for purposes of this subsection, the Indian tribe or tribal consortium—
(i)
may (but is not required to) include the State child welfare agency as a partner in the collaborative agreement;
(ii)
may not enter into a collaborative agreement only with tribal child welfare agencies (or a consortium of the agencies); and
(iii)
if the condition described in paragraph (2)(B) applies, may include tribal court organizations in lieu of other judicial partners.
(3)
Authority to award grants
(B)
Required minimum period of approval; planning
(iii)
Sufficient planning
(C)
Multiple grants allowed
(D)
Limitation on payment for a fiscal year
(4)
Application requirements
To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, a regional partnership shall submit to the Secretary a written application containing the following:
(A)
Recent evidence demonstrating that substance abuse has had a substantial impact on the number of out-of-home placements for children, or the number of children who are at risk of being placed in an out-of-home placement, in the partnership region.
(B)
A description of the goals and outcomes to be achieved during the funding period for the grant that will—
(i)
enhance the well-being of children, parents, and families receiving services or taking part in activities conducted with funds provided under the grant;
(ii)
lead to safe, permanent caregiving relationships for the children;
(iii)
improve the substance abuse treatment outcomes for parents including retention in treatment and successful completion of treatment;
(v)
decrease the number of out-of-home placements for children, increase reunification rates for children who have been placed in out-of-home care, or decrease the number of children who are at risk of being placed in an out-of-home placement, in the partnership region.
(C)
A description of the joint activities to be funded in whole or in part with the funds provided under the grant, including the sequencing of the activities proposed to be conducted under the funding period for the grant.
(D)
A description of the strategies for integrating programs and services determined to be appropriate for the child and the child’s family.
(E)
A description of a plan for sustaining the services provided by or activities funded under the grant after the conclusion of the grant period, including through the use of prevention services and programs under
section 671(e) of this title and other funds provided to the State for child welfare and substance abuse prevention and treatment services.
(F)
Additional information needed by the Secretary to determine that the proposed activities and implementation will be consistent with research or evaluations showing which practices and approaches are most effective.
(5)
Use of funds
Funds made available under a grant made under this subsection shall only be used for services or activities that are consistent with the purpose of this subsection and may include the following:
(A)
Family-based comprehensive long-term substance use disorder treatment including medication assisted treatment and in-home substance abuse disorder treatment and recovery services.
(B)
Early intervention and preventative services.
(C)
Children and family counseling.
(D)
Mental health services.
(E)
Parenting skills training.
(F)
Replication of successful models for providing family-based comprehensive long-term substance abuse treatment services.
(6)
Matching requirement
(A)
Federal share
A grant awarded under this subsection shall be available to pay a percentage share of the costs of services provided or activities conducted under such grant, not to exceed—
(i)
85 percent for the first and second fiscal years for which the grant is awarded to a recipient;
(ii)
80 percent for the third and fourth such fiscal years;
(iii)
75 percent for the fifth such fiscal year;
(iv)
70 percent for the sixth such fiscal year; and
(v)
65 percent for the seventh such fiscal year.
(7)
Considerations in awarding grants
In awarding grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall take into consideration the extent to which applicant regional partnerships—
(A)
demonstrate that substance abuse by parents or caretakers has had a substantial impact on the number of out-of-home placements for children, or the number of children who are at risk of being placed in an out-of-home placement, in the partnership region;
(B)
have limited resources for addressing the needs of children affected by such abuse;
(C)
have a lack of capacity for, or access to, comprehensive family treatment services;
(D)
demonstrate a track record of successful collaboration among child welfare, substance abuse disorder treatment and mental health agencies; and
(E)
demonstrate a plan for sustaining the services provided by or activities funded under the grant after the conclusion of the grant period.
(8)
Performance indicators
(B)
Consultation required
In establishing the performance indicators required by subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall base the performance measures on lessons learned from prior rounds of regional partnership grants under this subsection, and consult with the following:
(i)
The Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families.
(ii)
The Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
(iii)
Other stakeholders or constituencies as determined by the Secretary.
(9)
Reports
(A)
Grantee reports
(ii)
Incorporation of information related to performance indicators
(B)
Reports to Congress
On the basis of the reports submitted under subparagraph (A), the Secretary annually shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report on—
(i)
the services provided and activities conducted with funds provided under grants awarded under this subsection;
(ii)
the performance indicators established under paragraph (8); and
(iii)
the progress that has been made in addressing the needs of families with substance abuse problems who come to the attention of the child welfare system and in achieving the goals of child safety, permanence, and family stability.
(10)
Limitation on use of funds for administrative expenses of the Secretary
(g)
Funding for the development of an electronic interstate case-processing system to expedite the interstate placement of children in foster care or guardianship, or for adoption
(2)
Requirements
A State that seeks funding under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary the following:
(A)
A description of the goals and outcomes to be achieved, which goals and outcomes must result in—
(i)
reducing the time it takes for a child to be provided with a safe and appropriate permanent living arrangement across State lines;
(ii)
improving administrative processes and reducing costs in the foster care system; and
(iii)
the secure exchange of relevant case files and other necessary materials in real time, and timely communications and placement decisions regarding interstate placements of children.
(B)
A description of the activities to be funded in whole or in part with the funds, including the sequencing of the activities.
(C)
A description of the strategies for integrating programs and services for children who are placed across State lines.
(D)
Such other information as the Secretary may require.
(5)
Evaluations
Not later than 1 year after the final year in which funds are awarded under this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress, and make available to the general public by posting on a website, a report that contains the following information:
(A)
How using the electronic interstate case-processing system developed pursuant to paragraph (4) has changed the time it takes for children to be placed across State lines.
(B)
The number of cases subject to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children that were processed through the electronic interstate case-processing system, and the number of interstate child placement cases that were processed outside the electronic interstate case-processing system, by each State in each year.
(C)
The progress made by States in implementing the electronic interstate case-processing system.
(D)
How using the electronic interstate case-processing system has affected various metrics related to child safety and well-being, including the time it takes for children to be placed across State lines.
(E)
How using the electronic interstate case-processing system has affected administrative costs and caseworker time spent on placing children across State lines.
(6)
Data integration
The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretariat for the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children and the States, shall assess how the electronic interstate case-processing system developed pursuant to paragraph (4) could be used to better serve and protect children that come to the attention of the child welfare system, by—
(A)
connecting the system with other data systems (such as systems operated by State law enforcement and judicial agencies, systems operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purposes of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, and other systems);
(B)
simplifying and improving reporting related to paragraphs (34) and (35) of
section 671(a) of this title regarding children or youth who have been identified as being a sex trafficking victim
2
So in original. Probably should be “being sex trafficking victims”.
or children missing from foster care; and
([Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531], title IV, § 437, as added [Pub. L. 107–133, title I, § 106(b)], Jan. 17, 2002, [115 Stat. 2417]; amended [Pub. L. 109–288], §§ 3(b), 4(b)(2), 5(a)(2), (b)(2), 6(f)(5), Sept. 28, 2006, [120 Stat. 1234], 1238, 1242, 1243, 1247; [Pub. L. 110–234, title IV, § 4002(b)(1)(D)], (2)(V), May 22, 2008, [122 Stat. 1096], 1097; [Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a)], title IV, § 4002(b)(1)(D), (2)(V), June 18, 2008, [122 Stat. 1664], 1857, 1858; [Pub. L. 112–34, title I], §§ 102(a)(2), 103(c)(1), (2), Sept. 30, 2011, [125 Stat. 371], 373; [Pub. L. 115–123, div. E, title VII], §§ 50722(c), (d), 50723, 50752(b)(2), Feb. 9, 2018, [132 Stat. 246–248], 263; [Pub. L. 117–328, div. FF, title VI, § 6103(b)(2)]–(4), Dec. 29, 2022, [136 Stat. 5965].)