National Adoption and Foster Care Home Study Act

Summary: National Adoption and Foster Care Home Study Act This bill amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to direct a state receiving from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a community-based formula grant for the prevention of child abuse and neglect to establish a demonstration program through which the state:  adopts a specific evidence-based, uniform, national home study program for the evaluation of prospective foster parents and adoptive parents; and  furnishes HHS with data gathered through operation of the program.  HHS shall establish a national registry of home study reports filed by home study practitioners using an HHS-developed methodology meeting specified criteria. This registry must be accessible to state foster care and adoption agencies, or a designated entity as determined by the lead agency in the state, to assist with the selection of prospective foster parents and adoptive parents.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Adoption and Foster Care 
Home Study Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY-BASED GRANTS FOR THE PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE AND 
              NEGLECT.

    Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 
5116 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 201(b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (4), by striking ``; and'' and 
                inserting a semicolon;
                    (B) in paragraph (5), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) establishing a demonstration program not later than 1 
        year after the date of the enactment of this Act through which 
        the State--
                    ``(A) adopts a specific evidence-based, uniform, 
                home study program for the evaluation of prospective 
                foster parents and adoptive parents that incorporate 
                the elements described in section 207A(a) and that--
                            ``(i) expedites the screening of caregivers 
                        to promote more family-based care over 
                        institutional care for children;
                            ``(ii) provides cost savings to the State's 
                        current foster care and adoption system;
                            ``(iii) reduces the number of children 
                        waiting for foster care or adoptive placement;
                            ``(iv) reduces the number of prospective 
                        families waiting for foster care or adoptive 
                        placement;
                            ``(v) quantifies better outcomes for 
                        children that participate;
                            ``(vi) ensures ongoing training of home 
                        study certified personnel; and
                            ``(vii) designates a home study auditor to 
                        ensure quality control and accuracy of 
                        information provided to placing agencies; and
                    ``(B) provides data gathered through operation of 
                the program to the Secretary, as the Secretary may 
                require for purposes of the national registry under 
                section 207A(b).''; and
            (2) by inserting after section 207 the following:

``SEC. 207A. NATIONAL HOME STUDY STANDARD DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; 
              NATIONAL REGISTRY.

    ``(a) Program Elements.--Each demonstration program established by 
a State in accordance with section 201(b)(6) shall use the home study 
methodology developed by the Secretary that shall incorporate--
            ``(1) information gathering tools, including--
                    ``(A) an initial written questionnaire that is a 
                uniform set of closed-ended questions with a variety of 
                possible answers that provides significant family 
                information;
                    ``(B) a secondary in-person questionnaire that is 
                administered in a private setting, and, if applicable, 
                with both applicants present together; and
                    ``(C) guidelines that describe standardized 
                questions that an individual serving as a reference for 
                the applicant uses in writing a reference letter, to be 
                sent directly to such individual and not shared with 
                the applicant, and which is consistent with the 
                questionnaires described in subparagraphs (A) and (B);
            ``(2) a written guidance document to assist home study 
        practitioners in performing a psychosocial evaluation of the 
        applicant that--
                    ``(A) provides instructions on how to 
                systematically analyze information learned from the 
                information gathering tools described in paragraph (1) 
                in order to identify specific strengths and concerns of 
                the applicant;
                    ``(B) provides sufficient information for the home 
                study practitioner to determine the significance of 
                behaviors and events in the applicant's life in 
                relation to being a successful foster care or adoption 
                provider; and
                    ``(C) includes a rating system that will be 
                incorporated into the home study report described in 
                paragraph (3); and
            ``(3) a model report that may, at the discretion of the 
        Secretary, be customized by a State as necessary to comply with 
        State and local regulations and requirements.
    ``(b) National Registry.--The Secretary shall establish a national 
registry of home study reports filed by home study practitioners using 
the home study methodology described in subsection (a). Such registry 
shall be accessible to State foster care and adoption agencies, or a 
designated entity as determined by the lead agency in the State to 
assist with the selection of prospective foster parents and adoptive 
parents.
    ``(c) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall enter into a contract with 
an independent entity to carry out a periodic evaluation of the home 
study methodology established in subsection (a) and demonstration 
programs established in accordance with section 201(b)(6).''.