Federal

Foster Care Stabilization Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 1,138 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill creates a demonstration grant program to help foster youth. The grants go to foster care stabilization agencies to provide emergency assistance and improve services for youth waiting for foster care placement.

Who It Affects

Foster youth under age 26 in foster care. Foster care stabilization agencies (local public or private nonprofits with experience serving foster children). States and tribal agencies that manage foster care systems. The federal government agency managing children and family services.

Key Provisions

• The Secretary (the head of the relevant federal department) awards 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)). • Agencies can spend grant money on hiring staff, providing clothing and necessities up to $250 per youth per year, purchasing food and equipment, preventing child abuse and neglect, and other emergency assistance (Sec. 2(d)(5)). • The Secretary must post grant applications publicly on the Administration for Children and Families website and make special efforts to reach rural areas and Indian Tribes (Sec. 2(d)(4)). • The Secretary must submit a report to Congress describing how grants were used, data on items purchased, case outcomes, and home transfers (placements) for participating youth (Sec. 2(d)(7)).

What Changes

If this becomes law, foster care stabilization agencies can apply for federal grants to provide emergency help to foster youth. These agencies can use grant money to buy clothing, food and supplies, hire workers, and provide other emergency assistance to youth in their programs.

Important Definitions

• Foster care stabilization agency: A local public or private nonprofit organization, including community or faith-based groups, that provides direct services to children in foster care or foster youth. • Foster youth: A person in foster care who is not yet 26 years old. • Home transfer: The first time a foster youth is placed in foster care, and any time that youth is moved to a different placement while in foster care.

II 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 102 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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JANUARY 26, 2023 Mrs. FISCHER (for herself and Mr. HICKENLOOPER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 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 03:22 Feb 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S102.IS S102 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 102 IS 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 03:22 Feb 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S102.IS S102 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 102 IS ‘‘(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 publicly 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 03:22 Feb 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S102.IS S102 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 102 IS ‘‘(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 03:22 Feb 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S102.IS S102 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 102 IS ‘‘(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 03:22 Feb 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S102.IS S102 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •S 102 IS ‘‘(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 03:22 Feb 02, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S102.IS S102 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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