What This Bill Does
This bill creates a demonstration grant program to give money to foster care agencies. The agencies would use the funds to provide emergency help to foster youth and improve services for youth waiting to be placed in homes.
Who It Affects
Foster care stabilization agencies (local public or nonprofit organizations that serve foster youth). Foster youth under age 26 who are in the foster care system. States and tribal agencies that run foster care programs.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary will award 3 demonstration grants of up to $1,000,000 each to foster care stabilization agencies (Sec. 2(d)(1)).
• Grant recipients have 3 years to spend the money and must return any unused funds (Sec. 2(d)(2)).
• Grant money can be used to hire staff, provide clothing and personal items (up to $250 per youth per year), buy food and cooking equipment, prevent child abuse and neglect, and provide emergency assistance to keep foster youth safe and self-sufficient (Sec. 2(d)(5)).
• The Secretary must post grant applications on the Administration for Children and Families website and make special efforts to reach rural areas and Indian Tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations (Sec. 2(d)(4)).
• The Secretary must report to Congress on how grants were used, the types of items purchased, case outcomes for youth, and the number of home transfers for each youth (Sec. 2(d)(7)).
What Changes
The Social Security Act will be changed to add a new subsection that establishes these grant programs. This creates a new way for foster care agencies to get federal funding specifically for emergency relief and pre-placement services.
Important Definitions
• Foster care stabilization agency: A local public or private nonprofit organization, including community or faith-based organizations, that provides direct services to children and youth in foster care.
• Foster youth: An individual in foster care who has not reached age 26.
• Home transfer: The first time a foster youth is placed in foster care, plus any moves to a different foster home after that.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 756
To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration
grant program to provide emergency relief to foster youth and improve
pre-placement services offered by foster care stabilization agencies, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Mr. BACON (for himself, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. NUNN of Iowa, and
Ms. SCANLON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to establish
a demonstration grant program to provide emergency
relief to foster youth and improve pre-placement services
offered by foster care stabilization agencies, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Foster Care Stabiliza-
4
tion Act of 2023’’.
5
VerDate Sep 11 2014
20:42 Feb 23, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H756.IH
H756
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2
•HR 756 IH
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO IMPROVE PRE-PLACEMENT SERVICES
1
FOR FOSTER YOUTH.
2
Section 426 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
3
626) is amended by adding at the end the following:
4
‘‘(d) GRANTS TO IMPROVE PRE-PLACEMENT SERV-
5
ICES FOR FOSTER YOUTH.—
6
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall
7
award 3 demonstration grants of not more than
8
$1,000,000 to foster care stabilization agencies for
9
the purpose of providing emergency relief to foster
10
youth and improving pre-placement services for fos-
11
ter youth waiting for placement.
12
‘‘(2) DURATION.—A foster care stabilization
13
agency that receives a grant under this subsection
14
shall have 3 years to spend funds awarded by the
15
grant and return any unused grant funds to the Sec-
16
retary.
17
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—A foster care stabilization
18
agency that desires to receive a grant under this
19
subsection shall submit to the Secretary an applica-
20
tion at such time, in such manner, and containing
21
such information as the Secretary may require, that
22
shall include the following:
23
‘‘(A) A description of how grant funds will
24
be used to provide emergency relief to foster
25
youth by the foster care stabilization agency.
26
VerDate Sep 11 2014
20:42 Feb 23, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H756.IH
H756
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3
•HR 756 IH
‘‘(B) A description of how grant funds will
1
be used to improve pre-placement services of-
2
fered by the foster care stabilization agency.
3
‘‘(4) APPLICATION DISSEMINATION.—The Sec-
4
retary shall ensure that the solicitation of applica-
5
tions for a grant under this subsection is posted
6
publically on the website of the Administration for
7
Children and Families and shall make special dis-
8
semination efforts to rural areas and among Indian
9
Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian
10
organizations.
11
‘‘(5) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant awarded under
12
this subsection may be used to carry out any of the
13
following activities:
14
‘‘(A) Hiring of personnel necessary to pro-
15
vide emergency relief to foster youth and ensure
16
that services, resources, and assistance reach
17
such youth.
18
‘‘(B) Provision of clothing and other per-
19
sonal necessities to a foster youth for a total
20
not to exceed $250 per foster youth, per year.
21
‘‘(C) Purchase of food and equipment
22
needed to prepare food for foster youth.
23
VerDate Sep 11 2014
20:42 Feb 23, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H756.IH
H756
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4
•HR 756 IH
‘‘(D) Provision of service and support to
1
prevent and respond to occurrences of child
2
abuse and neglect with respect to foster youth.
3
‘‘(E) Any other extraordinary or emer-
4
gency assistance needed to promote the safety
5
and self-sufficiency of foster youth.
6
‘‘(F) Any other purpose that the Secretary
7
determines appropriate.
8
‘‘(6) RESERVATION.—The Secretary shall re-
9
serve $45,000 of any amounts referred to in para-
10
graph (9) for administration, oversight, and tech-
11
nical assistance activities related to this subsection.
12
‘‘(7) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to
13
the Congress a report that—
14
‘‘(A) describes how grants awarded under
15
this subsection have been used to provide emer-
16
gency relief to foster youth;
17
‘‘(B) describe how grants awarded under
18
this subsection have been used on pre-place-
19
ment services;
20
‘‘(C) contains data on the extent of cloth-
21
ing and other necessities purchased with grant
22
funds awarded under this subsection that have
23
been provided to foster youth;
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
20:42 Feb 23, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H756.IH
H756
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
5
•HR 756 IH
‘‘(D) provides an evaluation of case out-
1
comes for foster youth who have benefitted
2
from grant funds; and
3
‘‘(E) states the number of home transfers
4
for each foster youth that has benefitted from
5
grant funds.
6
‘‘(8) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection:
7
‘‘(A) FOSTER CARE STABILIZATION AGEN-
8
CY.—The term ‘foster care stabilization agency’
9
means a local public or private nonprofit entity,
10
including a community or faith-based organiza-
11
tion, with expertise and experience providing di-
12
rect services to 1 or more of the following:
13
‘‘(i) Children who are under the care
14
and placement responsibility of a State or
15
tribal agency that administers a plan
16
under this part or part E.
17
‘‘(ii) Foster youth who have not at-
18
tained 18 years of age.
19
‘‘(iii) Foster youth who have attained
20
18 years of age.
21
‘‘(B) FOSTER
YOUTH.—The term ‘foster
22
youth’ means an individual in foster care who
23
has not attained 26 years of age.
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
20:42 Feb 23, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H756.IH
H756
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
6
•HR 756 IH
‘‘(C) HOME TRANSFER.—The term ‘home
1
transfer’ means the initial placement of a foster
2
youth in foster care, and any subsequent place-
3
ment of that foster youth while in foster care.
4
‘‘(9) FUNDING.—To the extent that the total of
5
the amounts made available under subsection (a) for
6
a fiscal year exceeds $5,000,000 more than the
7
amount so made available for the previous fiscal
8
year, the Secretary shall use the amounts to carry
9
out this subsection.’’.
10
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
20:42 Feb 23, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H756.IH
H756
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB