I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4378 
To encourage the development of specialized foster care programs designed 
specifically for large sibling groups, sibling groups with a wide age 
range, and sibling groups with complex needs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 9, 2021 
Mr. BACON (for himself, Ms. BASS, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Mrs. LAWRENCE) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor 
A BILL 
To encourage the development of specialized foster care pro-
grams designed specifically for large sibling groups, sib-
ling groups with a wide age range, and sibling groups 
with complex needs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Sibling Re-
lationships in Foster Care Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. COMPETITIVE GRANT PILOT PROGRAM TO ENCOUR-
AGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIALIZED 
FOSTER CARE PROGRAMS DESIGNED SPE-
CIFICALLY FOR LARGE SIBLING GROUPS, SIB-
LING GROUPS WITH A WIDE AGE RANGE, AND 
SIBLING GROUPS WITH COMPLEX NEEDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall establish a competitive grant pilot program 
under which, during the 5-year period that begins with 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall make not more than 5 grants to eligible entities who 
have applied therefor to encourage the development of spe-
cialized foster care programs designed specifically for 
groups of 3 or more siblings, sibling groups with a wide 
age range, and sibling groups with, or that include a youth 
with, complex needs. For purposes of the preceding sen-
tence, a youth has complex needs if the youth exhibits 
challenging or risky behaviors that could cause themself 
or others serious harm, has mental health needs of such 
severity that the participation of the youth in daily life 
may be impaired either with or without services being ren-
dered to help, has a disability (as defined under the Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act), or has an illness that requires 
continuous monitoring or is life-threatening, and complex 
needs include issues that may arise from siblings in foster 
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care with a different parent, which could impact the ability 
of the siblings to be placed together, or from a youth with 
a history of trauma. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this section, the term ‘‘el-
igible entity’’ means a State child welfare agency, a State, 
tribal, or local agency, a faith- or community-based orga-
nization, or a nonprofit organization that has expertise 
and demonstrated experience, as well as state supervision, 
in administering a foster care program. 
(c) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity that desires to 
receive a grant under this section shall submit to the Sec-
retary an application that includes— 
(1) a description of how funds received under 
the grant will be used to place together sibling 
groups described in subsection (a); 
(2) a description of the specialized foster care 
program involved, and how the program is designed 
for the placement of sibling groups described in sub-
section (a); 
(3) data describing the challenges of placing, 
and number of, sibling groups described in sub-
section (a) that are awaiting placements; and 
(4) such other information as the Secretary 
may reasonably require. 
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(d) USE OF FUNDS.—A recipient of a grant under 
this section may use the grant funds only to develop spe-
cialized foster care programs which are— 
(1) designed to identify available placements 
for, and place together, sibling groups described in 
subsection (a); and 
(2) evidence-based, and proven to substantially 
increase joint sibling placements. 
(e) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—As a condition of 
receiving a grant under this section, the grant recipient 
shall submit to the Secretary a written report on the num-
ber of children in the specialized foster care program in-
volved, the size of the sibling groups served by the pro-
gram, the methods used to place children with their sib-
lings under the program, and the outcomes of the place-
ments. 
(f) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary may prescribe 
such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this 
section. 
(g) LIMITATIONS
ON AUTHORIZATION
OF APPRO-
PRIATIONS.—To carry out this section, there are author-
ized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than 
$10,000,000, which is authorized to remain available dur-
ing the 5-year period referred to in subsection (a). 
Æ 
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