How Federal Legislation Impacts Child Welfare Service Delivery

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This factsheet provides an overview of the process by which legislative actions and policy changes at the Federal level impact State and Tribal child welfare systems and service delivery. Links to pertinent resources are provided for each step of the process. The steps in the process described in this document do not always occur in the same sequence listed here.

Step 3: The Children's Bureau disburses funds to support child welfare programs as authorized by Federal legislation.

The Children's Bureau administers two major types of Federal child welfare funding programs: mandatory formula grants and discretionary grants. The following are mandatory programs:

• Title IV-E Foster Care Maintenance, Adoption Assistance, and Guardianship Assistance. The Children's Bureau provides these funds to the States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as an open-ended entitlement on a formula basis to provide reimbursement for a portion of the costs of providing foster care, adoption assistance, and if elected by the State or Tribe, guardianship assistance to eligible children. Beginning October 1, 2008, an Indian Tribe, Tribal consortium, or Tribal organization may submit title IV-E plans for direct funding for Indian children served by the Tribe in its identified service area(s).
• Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) and Education and Training Voucher Program (ETV). These programs are funded under title IV-E on a formula, fixed-grant basis to assist States in providing services and supports that help foster youth acquire the training and skills needed for self-sufficiency. Tribes, Tribal consortia, and Tribal organizations that have an approved title IV-E plan, as well as those that have entered into a title IV-E cooperative agreement or contract with a State, may apply for direct funding for Chafee (including ETV funding and services) as of October 1, 2009.
• Title IV-B Child and Family Services. The mandatory formula funding is awarded as annual fixed grants to support States, Tribes, and Territories in the development of effective child welfare services and to help them operate every aspect of their child welfare systems—from prevention of child abuse and neglect to adoption—and the information systems necessary to support these programs. Specific programs include the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (PSSF) and the Court Improvement Program (CIP).
• Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). Funds are awarded to States on a formula, fixed-grant basis to assist States in improving child protective services and child maltreatment prevention programs. Programs include the CAPTA State grants, Community-Based Grants for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (CBCAP), and the Children's Justice Act (CJA).

Discretionary Grants. The Children's Bureau also awards grants on a discretionary basis for knowledge development through a competitive peer-review process to State and local agencies, universities, faith-based and community-based organizations, and other nonprofit and for-profit groups. Specific programs include Adoption Opportunities, Child Welfare Training, Abandoned Infants Assistance, CAPTA Research and Demonstration Projects, Family Connections, and the Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program.

For more information:

• Programs and Funding
  Children's Bureau
  Provides a listing and complete description of the full array of Children's Bureau funding programs, including discretionary grants, State and Tribal grants, and general funding information.
• Discretionary Grants Library
  Children's Bureau
  An online tool for searching for and viewing CB program announcements and/or information related to specific CB grant projects.
• ACYF Directory of Funded Programs
  Administration on Children, Youth and Families
  A searchable database containing abstracts of research, demonstration, training, and services grants funded by ACYF.
• Section 11 of the Green Book (PDF - 2839 KB)
  U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means
  Provides program descriptions and historical data on programs under the Committee's jurisdiction. Section 11 covers child protection, foster care, and adoption assistance.

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