42 U.S.C. § 624 (THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE)
§ 624. Payment to States
(a) Payment schedule
From the sums appropriated therefor and the allotment under this subpart, subject to the conditions set forth in this section, the Secretary shall from time to time pay to each State that has a plan developed in accordance with section 622 of this title an amount equal to 75 percent of the total sum expended under the plan (including the cost of administration of the plan) in meeting the costs of State, district, county, or other local child welfare services.
(b) Computation and method of payment
The method of computing and making payments under this section shall be as follows:
(1) The Secretary shall, prior to the beginning of each period for which a payment is to be made, estimate the amount to be paid to the State for such period under the provisions of this section.
(2) From the allotment available therefor, the Secretary shall pay the amount so estimated, reduced or increased, as the case may be, by any sum (not previously adjusted under this section) by which he finds that his estimate of the amount to be paid the State for any prior period under this section was greater or less than the amount which should have been paid to the State for such prior period under this section.
(c) Limitation on use of Federal funds for child care, foster care maintenance payments, or adoption assistance payments
The total amount of Federal payments under this subpart for a fiscal year beginning after September 30, 2007, that may be used by a State for expenditures for child care, foster care maintenance payments, or adoption assistance payments shall not exceed the total amount of such payments for fiscal year 2005 that were so used by the State.
(d) Limitation on use by States of non-Federal funds for foster care maintenance payments to match Federal funds
For any fiscal year beginning after September 30, 2007, State expenditures of non-Federal funds for foster care maintenance payments shall not be considered to be expenditures under the State plan developed under this subpart for the fiscal year to the extent that the total of such expenditures for the fiscal year exceeds the total of such expenditures under the State plan developed under this subpart for fiscal year 2005.
(e) Limitation on reimbursement for administrative costs
A payment may not be made to a State under this section with respect to expenditures during a fiscal year for administrative costs, to the extent that the total amount of the expenditures exceeds 10 percent of the total expenditures of the State during the fiscal year for activities funded from amounts provided under this subpart.
(f) Child visitation by caseworkers
(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.
(B) If the Secretary determines that a State has failed to comply with subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, then the percentage that would otherwise apply for purposes of subsection (a) for the fiscal year shall be reduced by—
(i) 1, if the number of full percentage points by which the State fell short of the percentage specified in subparagraph (A) is less than 10;
(ii) 3, if the number of full percentage points by which the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less than 10 and less than 20; or
(iii) 5, if the number of full percentage points by which the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less than 20.
(2)
(A) Each State shall take such steps as are necessary to ensure that not less than 50 percent of the total number of visits made by caseworkers to children in foster care under the responsibility of the State during a fiscal year occur in the residence of the child involved.
(B) If the Secretary determines that a State has failed to comply with subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, then the percentage that would otherwise apply for purposes of subsection (a) for the fiscal year shall be reduced by—
(i) 1, if the number of full percentage points by which the State fell short of the percentage specified in subparagraph (A) is less than 10;
(ii) 3, if the number of full percentage points by which the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less than 10 and less than 20; or
(iii) 5, if the number of full percentage points by which the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less than 20.
(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 424, formerly § 423, as added Pub. L. 90–248, title II, § 240(c), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 913; amended Pub. L. 94–273, § 22, Apr. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 379; Pub. L. 96–272, title I, § 103(a), June 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 518; Pub. L. 103–66, title XIII, § 13711(b)(2), Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 655; Pub. L. 103–432, title II, § 202(d)(1), Oct. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 4454; renumbered § 424 and amended Pub. L. 109–288, §§ 6(b)(2), (e)(1), (2)(A), 7(b), 11(a)(2), Sept. 28, 2006, 120 Stat. 1244, 1246–1248, 1255; Pub. L. 112–34, title I, § 101(c), Sept. 30, 2011, 125 Stat. 370; Pub. L. 118–258, title I, § 112(d), Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2963.)
heading: Amendment of Subsection (f)
text: Pub. L. 118–258, title I, §§ 112(d), 117, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2963, 2969, provided that, effective Oct. 1, 2025, and applicable to payments under this part for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, with delay permitted if either State legislation or tribal action is required to meet additional requirements, subsection (f) of this section is amended by striking “(1)(A)” and by striking paragraphs (1)(B) and (2). See 2025 Amendment note below.
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Codification
text: Section was formerly classified to section 623 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 109–288.
heading: Prior Provisions
text: A prior section 624, act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 424, as added Pub. L. 90–248, title II, § 240(c), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 914; amended Pub. L. 96–272, title I, § 103(a), June 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 519; Pub. L. 103–432, title II, § 202(b), Oct. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 4454; Pub. L. 105–33, title V, § 5592(a)(1)(B), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 644, related to reallotment, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 109–288, §§ 6(b)(1), 12(a), Sept. 28, 2006, 120 Stat. 1244, 1255, effective Oct. 1, 2006, and applicable to payments under this part and part E of this subchapter for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date. See section 623(e) of this title.
heading: Amendments
text: 2025—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 118–258 struck out par. (1)(A) designation before “Each State” and struck out pars. (1)(B) and (2) which related to reduction in allotment of funds to a State for failure to comply with child visitation requirements.
2011—Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 112–34 added subsec. (f) and struck out subsec. (e) relating to caseworker visitation standard.
2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–288, § 11(a)(2), substituted “percent” for “per centum”.
Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 109–288, § 6(e)(1), added subsecs. (c) and (d) struck out former subsecs. (c) and (d) which related to prohibited payments and minimum State expenditures, respectively.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109–288, § 7(b), added subsec. (e) relating to caseworker visitation standard.
Pub. L. 109–288, § 6(e)(2)(A), added subsec. (e) relating to limitation on reimbursement for administrative costs.
1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–432 struck out “and in section 627 of this title” after “set forth in this section”.
1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–66 substituted “under this subpart” for “under this part”.
1980—Pub. L. 96–272 substituted provisions covering payments to States for provisions relating to allotment percentages and Federal share.
1976—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–273 substituted “October” for “July” wherever appearing and “November 30” for “August 31”.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 2025 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 118–258 effective Oct. 1, 2025, and applicable to payments under this part for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, with delay permitted if either State legislation or tribal action is required to meet additional requirements, see section 117 of Pub. L. 118–258, set out as a note under section 622 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 2011 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 112–34 effective Oct. 1, 2011, and applicable to payments under this part and part E of this subchapter for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, without regard to whether implementing regulations have been promulgated, and with delay permitted if State legislation is required to meet additional requirements, see section 107 of Pub. L. 112–34, set out as a note under section 622 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 109–288, § 6(e)(2)(B), Sept. 28, 2006, 120 Stat. 1247, provided that: “The amendment made by subparagraph (A) [amending this section] shall apply to expenditures made on or after October 1, 2007.”
Amendment by Pub. L. 109–288 effective Oct. 1, 2006, except as otherwise provided, and applicable to payments under this part and part E of this subchapter for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, without regard to whether implementing regulations have been promulgated, and with delay permitted if State legislation is required to meet additional requirements, see section 12(a), (b) of Pub. L. 109–288, set out as a note under section 621 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 103–432 effective with respect to fiscal years beginning on or after Apr. 1, 1996, see section 202(e) of Pub. L. 103–432, set out as a note under section 622 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1993 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 103–66 effective with respect to calendar quarters beginning on or after Oct. 1, 1993, see section 13711(c) of Pub. L. 103–66, set out as a note under section 622 of this title.