Do States Need an Electronic, Interstate System to Place Foster Children in Adoptive Homes? (H.R. 4472)

What is H.R. 4472?

(Updated July 26, 2017)

This bill would seek to reduce the amount of time it takes to place foster children with adoptive families, relatives, or in long-term placements across state lines by encouraging states to adopt a pilot program used in six states to achieve those goals. It would accomplish that by requiring states to have a centralized electronic case processing system to facilitate the timely and orderly interstate placement of foster children.

Grants would be authorized for states to develop a centralized system to expedite interstate placements of children in foster care, guardianship, or adoptive homes. A total of $5 million would be made available for fiscal year 2017, which would be reserved and remain available through fiscal year 2021.

Argument in favor

The federal government should encourage states to implement an electronic, interstate system for placing foster children that speeds up placement times while cutting administrative costs.

Argument opposed

The existing process for placing foster children with adoptive families in another state is not too time consuming, and states shouldn’t have to adopt an interstate placement system.

Impact

Children in foster care, guardianship, or adoptive homes; adoptive families; and state family services agencies.

Cost of H.R. 4472

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) introduced this bill to reduce the amount of time it takes to place foster children with adoptive families out-of-state:

“Thousands of children in my state have lost loving parents to opiate addiction, and I fear if we do nothing, we’ll lose thousands in the next generation, too. Modernizing the outdated interstate child placement process is one of a number of proposals that are urgently needed.  It will help alleviate the strain on the foster care system.  It will more quickly get children placed into loving homes where a set routine and stability will help them cope. Tragedy compounded by extended stints in various foster arrangements has proven detrimental to a child’s future. For children caught up in a system struggling to meet community needs, we should do everything possible to get them immediately placed in the setting that’s best for them, regardless of state boundary lines.”

This legislation is cosponsored by six Republican and one Democratic lawmakers in the House.

Of Note: This legislation would encourage states to create a system to place foster children with out-of-state adoptive families by using an existing six-state pilot program as a template. Known as the National Electronic Interstate Compact Enterprise (NEICE), the pilot program has reduced interstate placement times by 30 percent — meaning those children spent about one and a half fewer months waiting to join an adoptive family. It has also been projected that states will save $1.6 million annually from reduced copying and mailing costs, plus additional savings in labor costs given that NEICE is an electronic system.

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) Press Release
  
• News and Tribune
  
• American Public Human Services Association (In Favor - PDF)
  
• Child Welfare League of America (In Favor)
  
• State Policy Advocacy and Reform Center (In Favor - PDF)