To receive these funds, states must have in place a trust fund or other funding mechanism that pools Federal, state, and private funds and makes them available for child abuse and neglect prevention and family resource programs. Basic State Grants provide assistance in developing, strengthening, and implementing child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment programs. Federal funds also support research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. These demonstration programs identify the best means of preventing maltreatment and treating troubled families. The Child Welfare Services program provides grants to states and Indian tribes under title IV-B of the Social Security Act.
Services are available to children and their families without regard to income.
Publicly funded Child Welfare Services are directed toward the goal of keeping families together. They include preventive intervention so that, if possible, children will not have to be removed from their homes. If this is not possible, placements and permanent homes through foster care or adoption can be made. In addition, reunification services are available to encourage the return home, when appropriate, of children who have been removed from their families. Additional funds are distributed in proportion to the state's population of children under age 21 multiplied by the complement of the state's average per capita income.