II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 684 

To establish a national, research-based, and comprehensive home study assessment process for the evaluation of prospective foster parents and adoptive 

parents and provide funding to States and Indian tribes to adopt such 

process. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 21, 2017 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself and Mr. LANKFORD) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish a national, research-based, and comprehensive 

home study assessment process for the evaluation of 

prospective foster parents and adoptive parents and provide funding to States and Indian tribes to adopt such 

process. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Adoption and 

5 Foster Care Home Study Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR THE IMPLEMEN2 TATION OF A NATIONAL HOME STUDY PROC3 ESS. 

4 Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment 

5 Act and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5111 

6 et seq.) is amended— 

7 (1) in section 203(b) (42 U.S.C. 5113(b))— 

8 (A) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ‘‘(in9 cluding’’ and inserting ‘‘(including the national 

10 database established under section 203A(c) but 

11 containing’’; 

12 (B) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 

13 and inserting ‘‘;’’; 

14 (C) in paragraph (11), by striking the pe15 riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

16 (D) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(12) establish a demonstration program, not 

18 later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the 

19 National Adoption and Foster Care Home Study 

20 Act, through which each participating State or In21 dian tribe— 

22 ‘‘(A) adopts the uniform, research-based 

23 home study methodology for the evaluation of 

24 prospective foster parents and adoptive parents 

25 developed by the Secretary under section 

26 203A(a); and 


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1 ‘‘(B) provides data gathered through oper2 ation of the program to the Secretary, as the 

3 Secretary may require for purposes of the na4 tional database under section 203A(c).’’; 

5 (2) by inserting after section 203 (42 U.S.C. 

6 5113) the following: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 203A. NATIONAL HOME STUDY DEMONSTRATION PRO8 GRAMS; NATIONAL DATABASE. 

9 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM METHODOLOGY.—Each demonstra10 tion program established by a State or Indian tribe in ac11 cordance with section 203(b)(12) shall use a uniform, re12 search-based home study methodology for the evaluation 

13 of prospective foster parents and adoptive parents (devel14 oped by the Secretary after consultation with stakeholders 

15 and professionals in the field of child welfare) that shall— 

16 ‘‘(1) incorporate— 

17 ‘‘(A) information gathering tools, includ18 ing— 

19 ‘‘(i) an initial written questionnaire 

20 that is a uniform set of closed-ended ques21 tions with a variety of possible answers 

22 that provides significant family informa23 tion; 

24 ‘‘(ii) a secondary in-person question25 naire that is administered in a private setVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Mar 24, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S684.IS S684

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1 ting in the home, and, if applicable, with 

2 both applicants present together; and 

3 ‘‘(iii) guidelines that describe stand4 ardized questions that an individual serv5 ing as a reference for the applicant uses in 

6 writing a reference letter, to be sent di7 rectly to such individual and not shared 

8 with the applicant, and which is consistent 

9 with the questionnaires described in 

10 clauses (i) and (ii); 

11 ‘‘(B) a written guidance document to assist 

12 home study practitioners in performing a psy13 chosocial evaluation of the applicant that— 

14 ‘‘(i) provides instructions on how to 

15 systematically analyze information learned 

16 from the information gathering tools de17 scribed in subparagraph (A) in order to 

18 identify specific strengths and concerns of 

19 the applicant; 

20 ‘‘(ii) provides sufficient information 

21 for the home study practitioner to deter22 mine the significance of behaviors and 

23 events in the applicant’s life in relation to 

24 being a successful foster care or adoption 

25 provider; and 


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1 ‘‘(iii) includes a rating system that 

2 will be incorporated into the home study 

3 report described in subparagraph (C); and 

4 ‘‘(C) a model home study report that may, 

5 at the discretion of the Secretary, be cus6 tomized by a State or Indian tribe as necessary 

7 to comply with State or tribal and local regula8 tions and requirements; 

9 ‘‘(2) ensure ongoing training of home study cer10 tified personnel; and 

11 ‘‘(3) designate a home study auditor to ensure 

12 quality control and accuracy of information provided 

13 to placing agencies. 

14 ‘‘(b) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall make grants to 

15 States and Indian tribes to enable and encourage the 

16 States and Indian tribes to establish demonstration pro17 grams in accordance with section 203(b)(12). 

18 ‘‘(c) NATIONAL DATABASE.—The Secretary shall es19 tablish a secure national database of home study reports 

20 filed by home study practitioners using the home study 

21 methodology described in subsection (a). Such database 

22 shall be accessible only to State and tribal foster care and 

23 adoption agencies, or a designated entity, as determined 

24 by the lead agency in the State, to assist with the selection 

25 of prospective foster parents and adoptive parents. 


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1 ‘‘(d) CONDITION ON PARTICIPATION IN DEMONSTRA2 TION PROJECT.—As a condition for participating in the 

3 demonstration program under section 203(b)(12), a State 

4 or Indian tribe shall agree to recognize as valid all home 

5 study reports listed in the database described in subsection 

6 (c), including such reports filed by other States or Indian 

7 tribes. 

8 ‘‘(e) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall enter into a 

9 contract with an independent entity to— 

10 ‘‘(1) carry out a periodic evaluation of the home 

11 study methodology established under subsection (a) 

12 and the demonstration programs established in ac13 cordance with section 203(b)(12); and 

14 ‘‘(2) submit to the Secretary a report that in15 cludes— 

16 ‘‘(A) a description of the extent to which 

17 such methodology— 

18 ‘‘(i) meets the requirements of each of 

19 paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection 

20 (a); 

21 ‘‘(ii) expedites the screening of care22 givers to promote more family-based care 

23 over institutional care for children; 


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1 ‘‘(iii) provides cost savings to State or 

2 Indian tribe foster care and adoption sys3 tems, 

4 ‘‘(iv) reduces the number of children 

5 waiting for foster care or adoptive place6 ment; and 

7 ‘‘(v) reduces the number of prospec8 tive families waiting for foster care or 

9 adoptive placement; and 

10 ‘‘(B) recommendations for expanding the 

11 demonstration program and home study meth12 odology to all States and Indian tribes.’’; and 

13 (3) in section 205(b) (42 U.S.C. 5115(b)), by 

14 adding at the end the following: ‘‘The Secretary may 

15 allocate such sums as the Secretary determines to be 

16 appropriate from the funds appropriated under sub17 section (a) for activities under sections 203(b)(12) 

18 and 203A.’’. 

Æ 


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