TIMELY INTERSTATE HOME STUDY INCENTIVE PAYMENTS

TIMELY INTERSTATE HOME STUDY INCENTIVE PAYMENTS

Sec. 473B.[276]. [42 U.S.C. 673c note] (a) Grant Authority.—The Secretary shall make a grant to each State that is a home study incentive-eligible State for a fiscal year in an amount equal to the timely interstate home study incentive payment payable to the State under this section for the fiscal year, which shall be payable in the immediately succeeding fiscal year.

(b) Home Study Incentive–Eligible State.—A State is a home study incentive-eligible State for a fiscal year if—

(1) the State has a plan approved under this part for the fiscal year;

(2) the State is in compliance with subsection (c) for the fiscal year; and



(3) based on data submitted and verified pursuant to subsection (c), the State has completed a timely interstate home study during the fiscal year.



(c) Data Requirements.—



(1) In general.—A State is in compliance with this subsection for a fiscal year if the State has provided to the Secretary a written report, covering the preceding fiscal year, that specifies—



(A) the total number of interstate home studies requested by the State with respect to children in foster care under the responsibility of the State, and with respect to each such study, the identity of the other State involved;



(B) the total number of timely interstate home studies completed by the State with respect to children in foster care under the responsibility of other States, and with respect to each such study, the identity of the other State involved; and



(C) such other information as the Secretary may require in order to determine whether the State is a home study incentive-eligible State.



(2) Verification of data.—In determining the number of timely interstate home studies to be attributed to a State under this section, the Secretary shall check the data provided by the State under paragraph (1) against complementary data so provided by other States.



(d) Timely Interstate Home Study Incentive Payments.—



(1) In general.—The timely interstate home study incentive payment payable to a State for a fiscal year shall be $1,500, multiplied by the number of timely interstate home studies attributed to the State under this section during the fiscal year, subject to paragraph (2).



(2) Pro rata adjustment if insufficient funds available.—If the total amount of timely interstate home study incentive payments otherwise payable under this section for a fiscal year exceeds the total of the amounts made available pursuant to subsection (h) for the fiscal year (reduced (but not below zero) by the total of the amounts (if any) payable under paragraph (3) of this subsection with respect to the preceding fiscal year), the amount of each such otherwise payable incentive payment shall be reduced by a percentage equal to—



(A) the total of the amounts so made available (as so reduced); divided by



(B) the total of such otherwise payable incentive payments.



(3) Appropriations available for unpaid incentive payments for prior fiscal years.—



(A) In general.—If payments under this section are reduced under paragraph (2) or subparagraph (B) of this paragraph for a fiscal year, then, before making any other payment under this section for the next fiscal year, the Secretary shall pay each State whose payment was so reduced an amount equal to the total amount of the reductions which applied to the State, subject to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph.



(B) Pro rata adjustment if insufficient funds available.—If the total amount of payments otherwise payable under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph for a fiscal year exceeds the total of the amounts made available pursuant to subsection (h) for the fiscal year, the amount of each such payment shall be reduced by a percentage equal to—



(i) the total of the amounts so made available; divided by



(ii) the total of such otherwise payable payments.



(e) Two-Year Availability of Incentive Payments.—Payments to a State under this section in a fiscal year shall remain available for use by the State through the end of the next fiscal year.



(f) Limitations on Use of Incentive Payments.—A State shall not expend an amount paid to the State under this section except to provide to children or families any service (including post-adoption services) that may be provided under part B or E. Amounts expended by a State in accordance with the preceding sentence shall be disregarded in determining State expenditures for purposes of Federal matching payments under sections 423, 434, and 474.



(g) Definitions.—In this section:



(1) Home study.—The term “home study” means an evaluation of a home environment conducted in accordance with applicable requirements of the State in which the home is located, to determine whether a proposed placement of a child would meet the individual needs of the child, including the child’s safety, permanency, health, well-being, and mental, emotional, and physical development.



(2) Interstate home study.—The term “interstate home study” means a home study conducted by a State at the request of another State, to facilitate an adoptive or foster placement in the State of a child in foster care under the responsibility of the State.



(3) Timely interstate home study.—The term “timely interstate home study” means an interstate home study completed by a State if the State provides to the State that requested the study, within 30 days after receipt of the request, a report on the results of the study. The preceding sentence shall not be construed to require the State to have completed, within the 30-day period, the parts of the home study involving the education and training of the prospective foster or adoptive parents.



(h) Limitations on Authorization of Appropriations.—



(1) In general.—For payments under this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary—



(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;



(B) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;



(C) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and



(D) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.



(2) Availability.—Amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) are authorized to remain available until expended.



[276] P.L. 109-239, §4(b), added this section, effective October 1, 2006. P.L. 109-239, §4(c) provides that “Effective October 1, 2010, section 473B of the Social Security Act is repealed.”


Reasons Bill Initiated
Many children in foster care were waiting several years for permanent placement.
The focus on “reasonable efforts” to reunify children with their families had led to some placement decisions that were not in the best interests of the child and not adequately focused on child safety.
In order to move children into permanent homes in a more timely manner, States needed stricter guidelines for placement and reunification of children within their families.
Objectives/Goals
To promote permanency for children in foster care.
To ensure safety for abused and neglected children.
To accelerate permanent placements of children.
To increase accountability of the child welfare system.
Services Provided/Measures Taken
Reauthorized the Family Preservation and Support Services Program
Renamed it the Safe and Stable Families Program.
Extended categories of services to include time-limited reunification services and adoption promotion and support services.
Ensured safety for abused and neglected children:
Ensured health and safety concerns are addressed when a State determines placement for abused and neglected children.
Required HHS to report on the scope of substance abuse in the child welfare population, and the outcomes of services provided to that population.
Added “safety of the child” to every step of the case plan and review process.
Required criminal record checks for foster/adoptive parents who receive Federal funds on behalf of a child, unless a State opted out.
Accelerated permanent placement:
Required States to initiate court proceedings to free a child for adoption once that child had been waiting in foster care for at least 15 of the most recent 22 months, unless there is an exception.
Allowed children to be freed for adoption more quickly in extreme cases.
Promoted adoptions:
Rewarded States that increased adoptions with incentive funds.
Required States to use “reasonable efforts” to move eligible foster care children towards permanent placements.
Promoted adoptions of all special needs children and ensured health coverage for adopted special needs children.
Prohibited States from delaying/denying placements of children based on the geographic location of the prospective adoptive families.
Required States to document and report child-specific adoption efforts.
Increased accountability:
Required HHS to establish new outcome measures to monitor and improve State performance.
Required States to document child-specific efforts to move children into adoptive homes.
Clarified “Reasonable Efforts:”
Emphasized children’s health and safety.
Required States to specify situations when services to prevent foster placement and reunification of families are not required.
Implemented shorter time limits for making decisions about permanent placements:
Permanency hearings to be held no later than 12 months after entering foster care.
States must initiate termination of parental rights proceedings after the child has been in foster care 15 of the previous 22 months, except if not in the best interest of the child, or if the child is in the care of a relative.

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