Caring Homes and Improved Lives for Dependents (CHILD) Act

To amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to require States to provide for the placement of a foster child in a cottage home, and to make a child so placed eligible for foster care maintenance payments. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Caring Homes and Improved Lives for Dependents (CHILD) Act 2. Placement of foster children in cottage homes (a) State plan requirement Section 471(a) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 671(a) (1) by striking and (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (37) and inserting ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (38) provides that, with respect to a child who has attained 6 years of age and who is removed from the child’s home, if a suitable relative or other designated caregiver is not available as a placement for the child, placing the child in a foster family home or a cottage home shall be considered the least restrictive setting for the child. . (b) Eligibility for foster care maintenance payments of certain children placed in a cottage home Section 472(a)(2)(C) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 672(a)(2)(C) home or child-care institution home, a child-care institution, or (if the child has attained 6 years of age and a suitable relative or other designated caregiver is not available as a placement for the child) a cottage home that is not a foster family home or child-care institution (c) Definition of cottage home Section 472(c) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 672(c) (3) Cottage home The term cottage home (A) in which not more than 12 children reside; (B) that has and implements a trauma-informed treatment plan for its residents; (C) that involves family members of a child in the treatment for the child, and maintains contact with the family of the child, if available and if the involvement is clinically appropriate for the well-being of the child; (D) that 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; and (E) that is accredited by the Council on Accreditation or another national accrediting body. . (d) Effective date (1) In general The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply to payments under part E of title IV of the Social Security Act for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date. (2) Delay permitted if State legislation required If the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is required in order for a State plan under part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by this section, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to meet any of the additional requirements before the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning after the first regular session of the State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. For purposes of the preceding sentence, if the State has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular session of the State legislature.

Summary: Caring Homes and Improved Lives for Dependents (CHILD) Act This bill requires states to consider foster family homes or cottage homes to be the least restrictive setting for children who have attained six years of age and have been removed from their homes, if suitable relatives or other designated caregivers are not available. A cottage home is a residential operation in which not more than 12 children reside; that implements a trauma-informed treatment plan for its residents; that involves family members of a child in the treatment for the child, and maintains contact with the family of the child, if available and if the involvement is clinically appropriate for the well-being of the child; that is licensed by the state where it is located; and that is accredited. The bill makes cottage homes eligible for foster care maintenance payments.