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SERVICES TO FAMILIES IN CRISIS - AS MANDATED BY 42 U.S.C. § 671 (a) (15) and 672 (a) (1) -  an agency cannot be reimbursed for the cost of a child's out-of-home care unless the reasonable efforts requirement is met.

§ 671. State plan for foster care and adoption assistance

• (a) Requisite features of State plan

  In order for a State to be eligible for payments under this part, it shall have a plan approved by the Secretary which -

  • (1) provides for foster care maintenance payments in accordance with section 672 of this title and for adoption assistance in accordance with section 673 of this title;
  • (2) provides that the State agency responsible for administering the program authorized by subpart 1 of part B of this subchapter shall administer, or supervise the administration of, the program authorized by this part;
  • (3) provides that the plan shall be in effect in all political subdivisions of the State, and, if administered by them, be mandatory upon them;
  • (4) provides that the State shall assure that the programs at the local level assisted under this part will be coordinated with the programs at the State or local level assisted under parts A and B of this subchapter, under subchapter XX of this chapter, and under any other appropriate provision of Federal law;
  • (5) provides that the State will, in the administration of its programs under this part, use such methods relating to the establishment and maintenance of personnel standards on a merit basis as are found by the Secretary to be necessary for the proper and efficient operation of the programs, except that the Secretary shall exercise no authority with respect to the selection, tenure of office, or compensation of any individual employed in accordance with such methods;
  • (6) provides that the State agency referred to in paragraph (2) (hereinafter in this part referred to as the "State agency") will make such reports, in such form and containing such information as the Secretary may from time to time require, and comply with such provisions as the Secretary may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports;
  • (7) provides that the State agency will monitor and conduct periodic evaluations of activities carried out under this part;
  • (8) provides safeguards which restrict the use of or disclosure of information concerning individuals assisted under the State plan to purposes directly connected with (A) the administration of the plan of the State approved under this part, the plan or program of the State under part A, B, or D of this subchapter (including activities under part F of this subchapter) or under subchapter I, V, X, XIV, XVI (as in effect in Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands), XIX, or XX of this chapter, or the supplemental security income program established by subchapter XVI of this chapter, (B) any investigation, prosecution, or criminal or civil proceeding, conducted in connection with the administration of any such plan or program, (C) the administration of any other Federal or federally assisted program which provides assistance, in cash or in kind, or services, directly to individuals on the basis of need, (D) any audit or similar activity conducted in connection with the administration of any such plan or program by any governmental agency which is authorized by law to conduct such audit or activity, and (E) reporting and providing information pursuant to paragraph (9) to appropriate authorities with respect to known or suspected child abuse or neglect; and the safeguards so provided shall prohibit disclosure, to any committee or legislative body (other than an agency referred to in clause (D) with respect to an activity referred to in such clause), of any information which identifies by name or address any such applicant or recipient; except that nothing contained herein shall preclude a State from providing standards which restrict disclosures to purposes more limited than those specified herein, or which, in the case of adoptions, prevent disclosure entirely;
  • (9) provides that the State agency will -
    • (A) report to an appropriate agency or official, known or suspected instances of physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, or negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child receiving aid under part B of this subchapter or this part under circumstances which indicate that the child's health or welfare is threatened thereby; and
    • (B) provide such information with respect to a situation described in subparagraph (A) as the State agency may have;
  • (10) provides for the establishment or designation of a State authority or authorities which shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining standards for foster family homes and child care institutions which are reasonably in accord with recommended standards of national organizations concerned with standards for such institutions or homes, including standards related to admission policies, safety, sanitation, and protection of civil rights, and provides that the standards so established shall be applied by the State to any foster family home or child care institution receiving funds under this part or part B of this subchapter;
  • (11) provides for periodic review of the standards referred to in the preceding paragraph and amounts paid as foster care maintenance payments and adoption assistance to assure their continuing appropriateness;
  • (12) provides for granting an opportunity for a fair hearing before the State agency to any individual whose claim for benefits available pursuant to this part is denied or is not acted upon with reasonable promptness;
  • (13) provides that the State shall arrange for a periodic and independently conducted audit of the programs assisted under this part and part B of this subchapter, which shall be conducted no less frequently than once every three years;
  • (14) provides (A) specific goals (which shall be established by State law on or before October 1, 1982) for each fiscal year (commencing with the fiscal year which begins on October 1, 1983) as to the maximum number of children (in absolute numbers or as a percentage of all children in foster care with respect to whom assistance under the plan is provided during such year) who, at any time during such year, will remain in foster care after having been in such care for a period in excess of twenty-four months, and (B) a description of the steps which will be taken by the State to achieve such goals;
  • (15) effective October 1, 1983, provides that, in each case, reasonable efforts will be made (A) prior to the placement of a child in foster care, to prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child from his home, and (B) to make it possible for the child to return to his home;
  • (16) provides for the development of a case plan (as defined in section 675(1) of this title) for each child receiving foster care maintenance payments under the State plan and provides for a case review system which meets the requirements described in section 675(5)(B) of this title with respect to each such child; and
  • (17) provides that, where appropriate, all steps will be taken, including cooperative efforts with the State agencies administering the plans approved under parts A and D of this subchapter, to secure an assignment to the State of any rights to support on behalf of each child receiving foster care maintenance payments under this part.
• (b) Approval of plan by Secretary

  The Secretary shall approve any plan which complies with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.

(Amendment to above)

COATS (AND WYDEN) AMENDMENT NO. 4909 (Senate - July 18, 1996)

[Page: S8227]

Mr. ROTH (for Mr. Coats, for himself and Mr. Wyden) proposed an amendment to the bill, S. 1956, supra; as follows:

At the end of chapter 7, of subtitle A, of title II, add the following:

SEC. . KINSHIP CARE.

Section 471(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)) is amended--

(1) by striking `and' at the end of paragraph (16);

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (17) and inserting `; and'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(18) provides that States shall give preference to an adult relative over a non-related caregiver when determining a placement for a child, provided that the relative caregiver meets all relevant State child protection standards.

END

§ 672. Foster care maintenance payments program

• (a) Qualifying children

  Each State with a plan approved under this part shall make foster care maintenance payments (as defined in section 675(4) of this title) under this part with respect to a child who would meet the requirements of section 606(a) of this title or of section 607 of this title but for his removal from the home of a relative (specified in section 606(a) of this title), if -

  • (1) the removal from the home occurred pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement entered into by the child's parent or legal guardian, or was the result of a judicial determination to the effect that continuation therein would be contrary to the welfare of such child and (effective October 1, 1983) that reasonable efforts of the type described in section 671(a)(15) of this title have been made;
  • (2) such child's placement and care are the responsibility of
    • (A) the State agency administering the State plan approved under section 671 of this title, or (B) any other public agency with whom the State agency administering or supervising the administration of the State plan approved under section 671 of this title has made an agreement which is still in effect;
  • (3) such child has been placed in a foster family home or child-care institution as a result of the voluntary placement agreement or judicial determination referred to in paragraph (1); and
  • (4) such child -
    • (A) received aid under the State plan approved under section 602 of this title in or for the month in which such agreement was entered into or court proceedings leading to the removal of such child from the home were initiated, or
    • (B)(i) would have received such aid in or for such month if application had been made therefor, or (ii) had been living with a relative specified in section 606(a) of this title within six months prior to the month in which such agreement was entered into or such proceedings were initiated, and would have received such aid in or for such month if in such month he had been living with such a relative and application therefor had been made. In any case where the child is an alien disqualified under section 1255a(h), 1160(f), or 1161(d)(7) (FOOTNOTE 1) of title 8 from receiving aid under the State plan approved under section 602 of this title in or for the month in which such agreement was entered into or court proceedings leading to the removal of the child from the home were instituted, such child shall be considered to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (4) (and the corresponding requirements of section 673(a)(2)(B) of this title), with respect to that month, if he or she would have satisfied such requirements but for such disqualification.

      (FOOTNOTE 1) See References in Text note below.

• (b) Additional qualifications

  Foster care maintenance payments may be made under this part only on behalf of a child described in subsection (a) of this section who is -

  • (1) in the foster family home of an individual, whether the payments therefor are made to such individual or to a public or nonprofit private child-placement or child-care agency, or
  • (2) in a child-care institution, whether the payments therefor are made to such institution or to a public or nonprofit private child-placement or child-care agency, which payments shall be limited so as to include in such payments only those items which are included in the term "foster care maintenance payments" (as defined in section 675(4) of this title).
• (c) "Foster family home" and "child-care institution" defined

  For the purposes of this part, (1) the term "foster family home" means a foster family home for children which is licensed by the State in which it is situated or has been approved, by the agency of such State having responsibility for licensing homes of this type, as meeting the standards established for such licensing; and (2) the term "child-care institution" means a nonprofit private child-care institution, or a public child-care institution which accommodates no more than twenty-five children, which is licensed by the State in which it is situated or has been approved, by the agency of such State responsible for licensing or approval of institutions of this type, as meeting the standards established for such licensing, but the term shall not include detention facilities, forestry camps, training schools, or any other facility operated primarily for the detention of children who are determined to be delinquent.

• (d) Children removed from their homes pursuant to voluntary placement agreements

  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, Federal payments may be made under this part with respect to amounts expended by any State as foster care maintenance payments under this section, in the case of children removed from their homes pursuant to voluntary placement agreements as described in subsection (a) of this section, only if (at the time such amounts were expended) the State has fulfilled all of the requirements of section 627(b) of this title.

• (e) Placements in best interest of child

  No Federal payment may be made under this part with respect to amounts expended by any State as foster care maintenance payments under this section, in the case of any child who was removed from his or her home pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement as described in subsection (a) of this section and has remained in voluntary placement for a period in excess of 180 days, unless there has been a judicial determination by a court of competent jurisdiction (within the first 180 days of such placement) to the effect that such placement is in the best interests of the child.

• (f) "Voluntary placement" and "voluntary placement agreement" defined

  For the purposes of this part and part B of this subchapter, (1) the term "voluntary placement" means an out-of-home placement of a minor, by or with participation of a State agency, after the parents or guardians of the minor have requested the assistance of the agency and signed a voluntary placement agreement; and (2) the term "voluntary placement agreement" means a written agreement, binding on the parties to the agreement, between the State agency, any other agency acting on its behalf, and the parents or guardians of a minor child which specifies, at a minimum, the legal status of the child and the rights and obligations of the parents or guardians, the child, and the agency while the child is in placement.

• (g) Revocation of voluntary placement agreement

  In any case where -

  • (1) the placement of a minor child in foster care occurred pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement entered into by the parents or guardians of such child as provided in subsection (a) of this section, and
  • (2) such parents or guardians request (in such manner and form as the Secretary may prescribe) that the child be returned to their home or to the home of a relative, the voluntary placement agreement shall be deemed to be revoked unless the State agency opposes such request and obtains a judicial determination, by a court of competent jurisdiction, that the return of the child to such home would be contrary to the child's best interests.
• (h) Aid to families with dependent children

  For purposes of subchapters XIX and XX of this chapter, any child with respect to whom foster care maintenance payments are made under this section shall be deemed to be a dependent child as defined in section 606 of this title and shall be deemed to be a recipient of aid to families with dependent children under part A of this subchapter. For purposes of the preceding sentence, a child whose costs in a foster family home or child-care institution are covered by the foster care maintenance payments being made with respect to his or her minor parent, as provided in section 675(4)(B) of this title, shall be considered a child with respect to whom foster care maintenance payments are made under this section.

REASONABLE EFFORTS MANDATES - a "safeguard' to parents and children that families not be traumatized due to needless separation from each other

• ...by inexperienced, ill-trained or racially-socioeconomically-gender biased Child Protection caseworkers or officials.

IN THE EVENT OF 'EMERGENCY REMOVAL' of a child from his home - a "safeguard' to parents and children that due process will be guaranteed by informed, unbiased judiciaries, who are to mandate accountability for 'reasonable efforts', that 'Child Protection' agencies be mandated:

• to prove compliance with 'reasonable efforts' and not merely accept a preprinted form submitted by Child Protection agencies, for a 'rubber-stamped approval' by the court , thereby denying the parent and child due process rights to present evidence to the contrary.

The family courts, almost without fail - accepts preprinted 'reasonable efforts' forms from caseworkers...without question