II 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2883 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 
Received 
AN ACT 
To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security Act 
to extend the child and family services program through 
fiscal year 2016, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Child and Family Serv-
ices Improvement and Innovation Act’’. 
TITLE I—EXTENSION OF CHILD 
AND FAMILY SERVICES PRO-
GRAMS 
SEC. 101. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES CHILD WELFARE SERV-
ICES PROGRAM. 
(a) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM.—Section 425 of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 625) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘2007 through 2011’’ and inserting ‘‘2012 through 
2016’’. 
(b) MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN STATE PLAN RE-
QUIREMENTS.— 
(1) RESPONSE TO EMOTIONAL TRAUMA.—Sec-
tion 422(b)(15)(A)(ii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
622(b)(15)(A)(ii)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, includ-
ing emotional trauma associated with a child’s mal-
treatment and removal from home’’ before the semi-
colon. 
(2) PROCEDURES
ON
THE
USE
OF
PSYCHO-
TROPIC MEDICATIONS.—Section 422(b)(15)(A)(v) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 622(b)(15)(A)(v)) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘, including protocols for the appro-
priate use and monitoring of psychotropic medica-
tions’’ before the semicolon. 
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(3) DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO ADDRESS 
DEVELOPMENTAL
NEEDS
OF
VERY
YOUNG
CHIL-
DREN.—Section 422(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
622(b)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (16); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
paragraph (17) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(18) include a description of the activities that 
the State has undertaken to reduce the length of 
time children who have not attained 5 years of age 
are without a permanent family, and the activities 
the State undertakes to address the developmental 
needs of such children who receive benefits or serv-
ices under this part or part E.’’. 
(4) DATA SOURCES FOR CHILD DEATH REPORT-
ING.—Section 422(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
622(b)), as amended by paragraph (3) of this sub-
section, is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (17); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
paragraph (18) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(19) contain a description of the sources used 
to compile information on child maltreatment deaths 
required by Federal law to be reported by the State 
agency referred to in paragraph (1), and to the ex-
tent that the compilation does not include informa-
tion on such deaths from the State vital statistics 
department, child death review teams, law enforce-
ment agencies, or offices of medical examiners or 
coroners, the State shall describe why the informa-
tion is not so included and how the State will in-
clude the information.’’. 
(c) CHILD VISITATION BY CASEWORKERS.—Section 
424 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 624) is amended by striking 
the 2nd subsection (e), as added by section 7(b) of the 
Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006, and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(f)(1)(A) Each State shall take such steps as are 
necessary to ensure that the total number of visits made 
by caseworkers on a monthly basis to children in foster 
care under the responsibility of the State during a fiscal 
year is not less than 90 percent (or, in the case of fiscal 
year 2015 or thereafter, 95 percent) of the total number 
of such visits that would occur during the fiscal year if 
each such child were so visited once every month while 
in such care. 
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(b) TARGETING OF SERVICES TO POPULATIONS AT 
GREATEST RISK OF MALTREATMENT.—Section 432(a) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 629b(a)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(8); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (9) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(10) describes how the State identifies which 
populations are at the greatest risk of maltreatment 
and how services are targeted to the populations.’’. 
(c) REVISED PURPOSES OF FAMILY SUPPORT SERV-
ICES AND TIME-LIMITED FAMILY REUNIFICATION SERV-
ICES.— 
(1) 
FAMILY
SUPPORT
SERVICES.—Section 
431(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629a(a)(2)) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘family sup-
port services’ means community-based services 
designed to carry out the purposes described in 
subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(B) PURPOSES
DESCRIBED.—The pur-
poses described in this subparagraph are the 
following: 
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‘‘(i) To promote the safety and well- 
being of children and families. 
‘‘(ii) To increase the strength and sta-
bility of families (including adoptive, fos-
ter, and extended families). 
‘‘(iii) To increase parents’ confidence 
and competence in their parenting abilities. 
‘‘(iv) To afford children a safe, stable, 
and supportive family environment. 
‘‘(v) To strengthen parental relation-
ships and promote healthy marriages. 
‘‘(vi) To enhance child development, 
including through mentoring (as defined in 
section 439(b)(2)).’’. 
(2) 
TIME-LIMITED
FAMILY
REUNIFICATION 
SERVICES.—Section 431(a)(7)(B) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 629a(a)(7)(B)) is amended by redesignating 
clause (vi) as clause (viii) and inserting after clause 
(v) the following: 
‘‘(vi) Peer-to-peer mentoring and sup-
port groups for parents and primary care-
givers. 
‘‘(vii) Services and activities designed 
to facilitate access to and visitation of chil-
dren by parents and siblings.’’. 
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(d) UNIFORM DEFINITIONS OF INDIAN TRIBE AND 
TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—Section 431(a) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 629a(a)(5) and (6)) is amended by striking para-
graphs (5) and (6) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(5) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian tribe’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 428(c). 
‘‘(6) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘tribal 
organization’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 428(c).’’. 
(e) SUBMISSION
TO CONGRESS
OF STATE SUM-
MARIES
OF FINANCIAL DATA; PUBLICATION
ON HHS 
WEBSITE.—Section 432(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
629b(c)) is amended— 
(1) by striking all that precedes ‘‘shall’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(c) ANNUAL SUBMISSION OF STATE REPORTS TO 
CONGRESS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 
(2) by adding after and below the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) INFORMATION
TO
BE
INCLUDED.—The 
compilation shall include the individual State reports 
and tables that synthesize State information into na-
tional totals for each element required to be included 
in the reports, including planned and actual spend-
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ing by service category for the program authorized 
under this subpart and planned spending by service 
category for the program authorized under subpart 
1. 
‘‘(3) PUBLIC ACCESSIBILITY.—Not later than 
September 30 of each year, the Secretary shall pub-
lish the compilation on the website of the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services in a location 
easily accessible by the public.’’. 
(f) GAO REPORT ON MULTIPLE SOURCES OF FED-
ERAL SPENDING AND FAMILY ACCESS TO SERVICES.— 
Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to Congress a report that— 
(1) identifies alternative sources of Federal 
funding that are being employed by States or other 
entities for the same purposes for which funding is 
provided under subpart 1 or 2 of part B of title IV 
of the Social Security Act; and 
(2) assesses the needs of families eligible for 
services under such program, including identification 
of underserved communities and information regard-
ing— 
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(A) the supports available for caseworkers 
to appropriately investigate and safely manage 
their caseloads; 
(B) the length of the wait time for families 
to receive substance abuse and other preventive 
services; and 
(C) the number of families on waiting lists 
for such services and the effect of the delay on 
healthy, successful reunification outcomes for 
such families. 
(g) TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.— 
(1) Section 432(a)(8)(B) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 629b(a)(8)(B)) is amended in each 
of clauses (i) and (ii) by striking ‘‘forms CFS 101– 
Part I and CFS 101–Part II (or any successor 
forms)’’ and inserting ‘‘form CFS–101 (including all 
parts and any successor forms)’’. 
(2) Section 433(c)(2) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 629c(c)(2)) is amended— 
(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking 
‘‘FOOD STAMP’’ and inserting ‘‘SUPPLEMENTAL 
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘benefits benefits’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘benefits’’. 
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SEC. 103. GRANTS FOR TARGETED PURPOSES. 
(a) EXTENSION OF FUNDING RESERVATIONS FOR 
MONTHLY CASEWORKER VISITS AND REGIONAL PART-
NERSHIP GRANTS.—Section 436(b) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ‘‘433(e)’’ 
and 
all 
that 
follows 
and 
inserting 
‘‘433(e) 
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 
2016.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘437(f)’’ and 
all that follows and inserting ‘‘437(f) $20,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016.’’. 
(b) REVISION IN USE OF MONTHLY CASEWORKER 
VISITS GRANTS.—Section 436(b)(4)(B)(i) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 629f(b)(4)(B)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘support’’ and insert ‘‘improve 
the quality of’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘a primary emphasis’’ and all 
that follows and inserting ‘‘an emphasis on improv-
ing caseworker decision making on the safety, per-
manency, and well-being of foster children and on 
activities designed to increase retention, recruitment, 
and training of caseworkers.’’; and 
(c) REAUTHORIZATION OF REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP 
GRANTS TO ASSIST CHILDREN AFFECTED BY PARENTAL 
SUBSTANCE ABUSE.— 
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(1) 
EXTENSION
OF
PROGRAM.—Section 
437(f)(3)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)(3)(A)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘2007 through 2011’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2012 through 2016’’. 
(2) REVISIONS TO PROGRAM.—Section 437(f) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)) is amended— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘METHAMPHETAMINE OR OTHER’’; 
(B) in each of paragraphs (1), (4)(A), 
(7)(A)(i), and (9)(B)(iii), by striking ‘‘meth-
amphetamine or other’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking subpara-
graph (B) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) REQUIRED MINIMUM PERIOD OF AP-
PROVAL.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A grant shall be 
awarded under this subsection for a period 
of not less than 2, and not more than 5, 
fiscal years, subject to clause (ii). 
‘‘(ii) EXTENSION OF GRANT.—On ap-
plication of the grantee, the Secretary may 
extend for not more than 2 fiscal years the 
period for which a grant is awarded under 
this subsection. 
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‘‘(C) MULTIPLE GRANTS ALLOWED.—This 
subsection shall not be interpreted to prevent a 
grantee from applying for, or being awarded, 
separate grants under this subsection.’’; 
(D) in paragraph (6)(A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of 
clause (ii); 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
of clause (iii) and inserting a semicolon; 
and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iv) 70 percent for the sixth such fis-
cal year; and 
‘‘(v) 65 percent for the seventh such 
fiscal year.’’; 
(E) in paragraph (7)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘shall—’’ and all that 
follows through ‘‘(A) take’’ and inserting 
‘‘shall take’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A)(iv), by strik-
ing ‘‘; and’’ and inserting a period; 
(iii) by striking subparagraph (B); 
and 
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(iv) 
by 
redesignating 
clauses 
(i) 
through (iv) of subparagraph (A) as sub-
paragraphs (A) through (D), respectively, 
and moving each of such provisions 2 ems 
to the left; and 
(F) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(10) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR AD-
MINISTRATIVE EXPENSES OF THE SECRETARY.—Not 
more than 5 percent of the amounts appropriated or 
reserved for awarding grants under this subsection 
for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016 may be 
used by the Secretary for salaries and Department 
of Health and Human Services administrative ex-
penses in administering this subsection.’’. 
(3) EVALUATIONS.—Not later than December 
31, 2012, and not later than December 31, 2017, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
evaluate the effectiveness of the grants awarded to 
regional partnerships under section 437(f) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)) and shall pub-
lish a report regarding the results of each evaluation 
on the website of the Department of Health and 
Human Services. Each report required to be pub-
lished under this subsection shall include— 
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(A) an evaluation of the programs and ac-
tivities conducted, and the services provided, 
with the grant funds awarded under such sec-
tion for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, in the 
case of the evaluation required by December 31, 
2012, and for fiscal years 2012 through 2016, 
in the case of the evaluation required by De-
cember 31, 2017; 
(B) an analysis of the regional partner-
ships awarded such grants that have, and have 
not, been successful in achieving the goals and 
outcomes specified in their grant applications 
and with respect to the performance indicators 
established by the Secretary under paragraph 
(8) of such section that are applicable to their 
grant awards; and 
(C) an analysis of the extent to which such 
grants have been successful in addressing the 
needs of families with methamphetamine or 
other substance abuse problems who come to 
the attention of the child welfare system and in 
achieving the goals of child safety, permanence, 
and family stability. 
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SEC. 104. COURT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) GRANT PURPOSES.—Section 438(a) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629h(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘; 
and’’ and inserting ‘‘, including the require-
ments in the Act related to concurrent plan-
ning;’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by adding ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) to increase and improve engagement 
of the entire family in court processes relating 
to child welfare, family preservation, family re-
unification, and adoption;’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(4)’’; 
(B) by striking the period and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(C) by adding after and below the end the 
following: 
‘‘(B) to increase and improve engagement of 
the entire family in court processes relating to child 
welfare, family preservation, family reunification, 
and adoption.’’. 
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(b) 
SINGLE
GRANT
APPLICATION.—Section 
438(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629h(b)(2)) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) SINGLE GRANT APPLICATION.—Pursuant 
to the requirements under paragraph (1) of this sub-
section, a highest State court desiring a grant under 
this section shall submit a single application to the 
Secretary that specifies whether the application is 
for a grant for— 
‘‘(A) the purposes described in paragraphs 
(1) and (2) of subsection (a); 
‘‘(B) the purpose described in subsection 
(a)(3); 
‘‘(C) the purpose described in subsection 
(a)(4); or 
‘‘(D) the purposes referred to in 2 or more 
(specifically identified) of subparagraphs (A), 
(B), and (C) of this paragraph.’’. 
(c) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—Section 438(c) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 629h(c)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) AMOUNT OF GRANT.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—With respect to each of 
subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of subsection (b)(2) 
that refers to 1 or more grant purposes for which 
an application of a highest State court is approved 
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under this section, the court shall be entitled to pay-
ment, for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016, 
from the amount allocated under paragraph (3) of 
this subsection for grants for the purpose or pur-
poses, of an amount equal to $85,000 plus the 
amount described in paragraph (2) of this subsection 
with respect to the purpose or purposes. 
‘‘(2) AMOUNT
DESCRIBED.—The amount de-
scribed in this paragraph for any fiscal year with re-
spect to the purpose or purposes referred to in a 
subparagraph of subsection (b)(2) is the amount 
that bears the same ratio to the total of the amounts 
allocated under paragraph (3) of this subsection for 
grants for the purpose or purposes as the number of 
individuals in the State who have not attained 21 
years of age bears to the total number of such indi-
viduals in all States the highest State courts of 
which have approved applications under this section 
for grants for the purpose or purposes. 
‘‘(3) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(A) 
MANDATORY
FUNDS.—Of 
the 
amounts reserved under section 436(b)(2) for 
any fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate— 
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‘‘(i) $9,000,000 for grants for the 
purposes described in paragraphs (1) and 
(2) of subsection (a); 
‘‘(ii) $10,000,000 for grants for the 
purpose described in subsection (a)(3); 
‘‘(iii) $10,000,000 for grants for the 
purpose described in subsection (a)(4); and 
‘‘(iv) $1,000,000 for grants to be 
awarded on a competitive basis among the 
highest courts of Indian tribes or tribal 
consortia that— 
‘‘(I) are operating a program 
under part E, in accordance with sec-
tion 479B; 
‘‘(II) are seeking to operate a 
program under part E and have re-
ceived an implementation grant under 
section 476; or 
‘‘(III) has a court responsible for 
proceedings related to foster care or 
adoption. 
‘‘(B) DISCRETIONARY
FUNDS.—The Sec-
retary shall allocate all of the amounts reserved 
under section 437(b)(2) for grants for the pur-
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poses described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (a).’’. 
(d) EXTENSION
OF
FEDERAL
SHARE.—Section 
438(d) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629h(d)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2002 through 2011’’ and inserting ‘‘2012 
through 2016’’. 
(e) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Effective as if in-
cluded in the enactment of the Safe and Timely Interstate 
Placement of Foster Children Act of 2006, section 8(b) 
of such Act (120 Stat. 513) is amended by striking 
‘‘438(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 638(b))’’ inserting 
‘‘438(b)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629h(b)(1))’’. 
SEC. 105. DATA STANDARDIZATION FOR IMPROVED DATA 
MATCHING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part B of title IV of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621–629i) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘Subpart 3—Common Provisions 
‘‘SEC. 440. DATA STANDARDIZATION FOR IMPROVED DATA 
MATCHING. 
‘‘(a) STANDARD DATA ELEMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary, in con-
sultation with an interagency work group established 
by the Office of Management and Budget, and con-
sidering State perspectives, shall, by rule, designate 
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standard data elements for any category of informa-
tion required to be reported under this part. 
‘‘(2) DATA ELEMENTS MUST BE NONPROPRI-
ETARY AND INTEROPERABLE.—The standard data 
elements designated under paragraph (1) shall, to 
the extent practicable, be nonproprietary and inter-
operable. 
‘‘(3) OTHER
REQUIREMENTS.—In designating 
standard data elements under this subsection, the 
Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, incor-
porate— 
‘‘(A) interoperable standards developed 
and maintained by an international voluntary 
consensus standards body, as defined by the Of-
fice of Management and Budget, such as the 
International Organization for Standardization; 
‘‘(B) interoperable standards developed 
and maintained by intergovernmental partner-
ships, such as the National Information Ex-
change Model; and 
‘‘(C) interoperable standards developed 
and maintained by Federal entities with author-
ity over contracting and financial assistance, 
such as the Federal Acquisition Regulatory 
Council. 
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‘‘(b) DATA STANDARDS FOR REPORTING.— 
‘‘(1) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary, in con-
sultation with an interagency work group established 
by the Office of Management and Budget, and con-
sidering State government perspectives, shall, by 
rule, designate data reporting standards to govern 
the reporting required under this part. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The data reporting 
standards required by paragraph (1) shall, to the ex-
tent practicable— 
‘‘(A) incorporate a widely-accepted, non- 
proprietary, searchable, computer-readable for-
mat; 
‘‘(B) be consistent with and implement ap-
plicable accounting principles; and 
‘‘(C) be capable of being continually up-
graded as necessary. 
‘‘(3) INCORPORATION
OF
NONPROPRIETARY 
STANDARDS.—In designating reporting standards 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall, to the ex-
tent practicable, incorporate existing nonproprietary 
standards, such as the eXtensible Business Report-
ing Language.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2012, and 
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shall apply with respect to information required to be re-
ported on or after such date. 
SEC. 106. PROVISIONS RELATING TO FOSTER CARE OR 
ADOPTION. 
(a) EDUCATIONAL STABILITY FOR EACH FOSTER 
PLACEMENT.—Section 475(1)(G) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 675(1)(G)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘the placement’’ 
and inserting ‘‘each placement’’; and 
(2) in clause (ii)(I), by inserting ‘‘each’’ before 
‘‘placement’’. 
(b) FOSTER YOUTH ID THEFT.—Section 475(5) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 675(5)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (G); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (H) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(I) each child in foster care under the re-
sponsibility of the State who has attained 16 
years of age receives without cost a copy of any 
consumer report (as defined in section 603(d) 
of the Fair Credit Reporting Act) pertaining to 
the child each year until the child is discharged 
from care, and receives assistance (including, 
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when feasible, from any court-appointed advo-
cate for the child) in interpreting and resolving 
any inaccuracies in the report.’’. 
(c) DESCRIPTION OF ADOPTION SPENDING.—Section 
473(a)(8) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 673(a)(8)) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘, and shall document how such amounts are 
spent, including on post-adoption services’’ before the pe-
riod. 
(d) INCLUSION IN ANNUAL REPORT OF ADDITIONAL 
INFORMATION
ON
CHILD
VISITATION
BY
CASE-
WORKERS.—Section 479A(6) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
679b(6)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (A); and 
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as sub-
paragraph (C) and inserting after subparagraph (A) 
the following: 
‘‘(B) the total number of visits made by 
caseworkers on a monthly basis to children in 
foster care under the responsibility of the State 
during a fiscal year as a percentage of the total 
number of the visits that would occur during 
the fiscal year if each child were so visited once 
every month while in such care; and’’. 
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SEC. 107. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in 
this title, this title and the amendments made by this title 
shall take effect on October 1, 2011, and shall apply to 
payments under parts B and E of title IV of the Social 
Security Act for calendar quarters beginning on or after 
such date, without regard to whether regulations to imple-
ment the amendments are promulgated by such date. 
(b) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION RE-
QUIRED.—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 
developed pursuant to subpart 1 of part B, or a State plan 
approved under subpart 2 of part B or part E, of title 
IV of the Social Security Act to meet the additional re-
quirements imposed by the amendments made by this title, 
the plan shall not be regarded as failing to meet any of 
the additional requirements before the 1st day of the 1st 
calendar quarter beginning after the first regular session 
of the State legislature that begins after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 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. 
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TITLE II—CHILD WELFARE 
DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS 
SEC. 201. RENEWAL OF AUTHORITY TO APPROVE DEM-
ONSTRATION PROJECTS DESIGNED TO TEST 
INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES IN STATE CHILD 
WELFARE PROGRAMS. 
Section 1130 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1320a–9) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—During fiscal years 2012 
through 2014, the Secretary may authorize dem-
onstration projects described in paragraph (1), with 
not more than 10 demonstration projects to be au-
thorized in each fiscal year.’’. 
(B) by striking paragraph (3) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(3) CONDITIONS
FOR
STATE
ELIGIBILITY.— 
For purposes of a new demonstration project under 
this section that is initially approved in any of fiscal 
years 2012 through 2014, a State shall be author-
ized to conduct such demonstration project only if 
the State satisfies the following conditions: 
‘‘(A) IDENTIFY 1 OR MORE GOALS.— 
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‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The State shall 
demonstrate 
that 
the 
demonstration 
project is designed to accomplish 1 or more 
of the following goals: 
‘‘(I) Increase permanency for all 
infants, children, and youth by reduc-
ing the time in foster placements 
when possible and promoting a suc-
cessful transition to adulthood for 
older youth. 
‘‘(II) Increase positive outcomes 
for infants, children, youth, and fami-
lies in their homes and communities, 
including tribal communities, and im-
prove the safety and well-being of in-
fants, children, and youth. 
‘‘(III) Prevent child abuse and 
neglect and the re-entry of infants, 
children, and youth into foster care. 
‘‘(ii) LONG-TERM THERAPEUTIC FAM-
ILY
TREATMENT
CENTERS; ADDRESSING 
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.—With respect to a 
demonstration project that is designed to 
accomplish 1 or more of the goals de-
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scribed in clause (i), the State may elect to 
establish a program— 
‘‘(I) to permit foster care mainte-
nance payments to be made under 
part E of title IV to a long-term 
therapeutic family treatment center 
(as described in paragraph (8)(B)) on 
behalf of a child residing in the cen-
ter; or 
‘‘(II) to identify and address do-
mestic violence that endangers chil-
dren and results in the placement of 
children in foster care. 
‘‘(B) 
DEMONSTRATE
READINESS.—The 
State shall demonstrate through a narrative de-
scription the State’s capacity to effectively use 
the authority to conduct a demonstration 
project under this section by identifying 
changes the State has made or plans to make 
in policies, procedures, or other elements of the 
State’s child welfare program that will enable 
the State to successfully achieve the goal or 
goals of the project. 
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‘‘(C) DEMONSTRATE
IMPLEMENTED
OR 
PLANNED CHILD WELFARE PROGRAM IMPROVE-
MENT POLICIES.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The State shall 
demonstrate that the State has imple-
mented, or plans to implement within 3 
years of the date on which the State sub-
mits its application to conduct the dem-
onstration project or 2 years after the date 
on which the Secretary approves such dem-
onstration project (whichever is later), at 
least 2 of the child welfare program im-
provement policies described in paragraph 
(7). 
‘‘(ii) PREVIOUS
IMPLEMENTATION.— 
For purposes of the requirement described 
in clause (i), at least 1 of the child welfare 
program improvement policies to be imple-
mented by the State shall be a policy that 
the State has not previously implemented 
as of the date on which the State submits 
an application to conduct the demonstra-
tion project. 
‘‘(iii) IMPLEMENTATION
REVIEW.— 
The Secretary may terminate the authority 
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of a State to conduct a demonstration 
project under this section if, after the 3- 
year period following approval of the dem-
onstration project, the State has not made 
significant progress in implementing the 
child welfare program improvement policies 
proposed by the State under clause (i).’’; 
(C) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘and 
the ability of the State to implement a correc-
tive action plan approved under section 1123A’’ 
before the period; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) INAPPLICABILITY
OF
RANDOM
ASSIGN-
MENT FOR CONTROL GROUPS AS A FACTOR FOR AP-
PROVAL OF DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—For pur-
poses of evaluating an application to conduct a dem-
onstration project under this section, the Secretary 
shall not take into consideration whether such 
project requires random assignment of children and 
families to groups served under the project and to 
control groups. 
‘‘(7) CHILD WELFARE PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT 
POLICIES.—For purposes of paragraph (3)(C), the 
child welfare program improvement policies de-
scribed in this paragraph are the following: 
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‘‘(A) The establishment of a bill of rights 
for infants, children, and youth in foster care 
that is widely shared and clearly outlines pro-
tections for infants, children, and youth, such 
as assuring frequent visits with parents, sib-
lings, and caseworkers, access to attorneys, and 
participation in age-appropriate extracurricular 
activities, and procedures for ensuring the pro-
tections are provided. 
‘‘(B) The development and implementation 
of a plan for meeting the health and mental 
health needs of infants, children, and youth in 
foster care that includes ensuring that the pro-
vision of health and mental health care is child- 
specific, comprehensive, appropriate, and con-
sistent (through means such as ensuring the in-
fant, child, or youth has a medical home, reg-
ular wellness medical visits, and addressing the 
issue of trauma, when appropriate). 
‘‘(C) The inclusion in the State plan under 
section 471 of an amendment implementing the 
option under subsection (a)(28) of that section 
to enter into kinship guardianship assistance 
agreements. 
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‘‘(D) The election under the State plan 
under section 471 to define a ‘child’ for pur-
poses of the provision of foster care mainte-
nance payments, adoption assistance payments, 
and kinship guardianship assistance payments, 
so as to include individuals described in each of 
subclauses (I), (II), and (III) of section 
475(8)(B)(i) who have not attained age 21. 
‘‘(E) The development and implementation 
of a plan that ensures congregate care is used 
appropriately and reduces the placement of chil-
dren and youth in such care. 
‘‘(F) Of those infants, children, and youth 
in out-of-home placements, substantially in-
creasing the number of cases of siblings who 
are in the same foster care, kinship guardian-
ship, or adoptive placement, above the number 
of such cases in fiscal year 2008. 
‘‘(G) The development and implementation 
of a plan to improve the recruitment and reten-
tion of high quality foster family homes trained 
to help assist infants, children, and youth swift-
ly secure permanent families. Supports for fos-
ter families under such a plan may include in-
creasing maintenance payments to more ade-
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quately meet the needs of infants, children, and 
youth in foster care and expanding training, 
respite care, and other support services for fos-
ter parents. 
‘‘(H) The establishment of procedures de-
signed to assist youth as they prepare for their 
transition out of foster care, such as arranging 
for participation in age-appropriate extra-cur-
ricular activities, providing appropriate access 
to cell phones, computers, and opportunities to 
obtain a driver’s license, providing notification 
of all sibling placements if siblings are in care 
and sibling location if siblings are out of care, 
and providing counseling and financial support 
for post-secondary education. 
‘‘(I) The inclusion in the State plan under 
section 471 of a description of State procedures 
for— 
‘‘(i) ensuring that youth in foster care 
who have attained age 16 are engaged in 
discussions, including during the develop-
ment of the transition plans required 
under paragraphs (1)(D) and (5)(H) of 
section 475, that explore whether the 
youth wishes to reconnect with the youth’s 
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biological family, including parents, grand-
parents, and siblings, and, if so, what skills 
and strategies the youth will need to suc-
cessfully and safely reconnect with those 
family members; 
‘‘(ii) providing appropriate guidance 
and services to youth whom affirm an in-
tent to reconnect with biological family 
members on how to successfully and safely 
manage such reconnections; and 
‘‘(iii) making, when appropriate, ef-
forts to include biological family members 
in such reconnection efforts. 
‘‘(J) The establishment of one or more of 
the following programs designed to prevent in-
fants, children, and youth from entering foster 
care or to provide permanency for infants, chil-
dren, and youth in foster care: 
‘‘(i) An intensive family finding pro-
gram. 
‘‘(ii) A kinship navigator program. 
‘‘(iii) A family counseling program, 
such as a family group decision-making 
program, and which may include in-home 
peer support for families. 
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‘‘(iv) A comprehensive family-based 
substance abuse treatment program. 
‘‘(v) A program under which special 
efforts are made to identify and address 
domestic violence that endangers infants, 
children, and youth and puts them at risk 
of entering foster care. 
‘‘(vi) A mentoring program. 
‘‘(8) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘youth’ means, with respect 
to a State, an individual who has attained age 
12 but has not attained the age at which an in-
dividual is no longer considered to be a child 
under the State plans under parts B and E of 
title IV, and 
‘‘(B) the term ‘long-term therapeutic fam-
ily treatment center’ means a State licensed or 
certified program that enables parents and their 
children to live together in a safe environment 
for a period of not less than 6 months and pro-
vides, on-site or by referral, substance abuse 
treatment services, children’s early intervention 
services, family counseling, legal services, med-
ical care, mental health services, nursery and 
preschool, parenting skills training, pediatric 
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