Data-Driven Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention Act of 2022
Bill: S.4725 | Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck (R-IA)
Policy area: Families

Summary:
Data-Driven Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention Act of 2022
This bill requires state plans for child welfare services to provide for the development and implementation of a family partnership plan to improve foster care placement stability, increase rates of kinship placements, and align the racial and ethnic composition of foster and adoptive families with that of children in need of homes.

To amend parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act to 
 improve foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Data-Driven Foster Parent 
Recruitment and Retention Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. STATE PLAN AMENDMENT.

    (a) In General.--Section 422 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
622) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by striking paragraph (7) and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(7) provide for development and implementation of a 
        family partnership plan which meets the requirements of 
        subsection (d) for identification, recruitment, screening, 
        licensing, support, and retention of foster and adoptive 
        families that reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of 
        children in the State for whom foster and adoptive homes are 
        needed;''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Family Partnership Plan Requirements.--For purposes of 
subsection (b)(7), the requirements for a family partnership plan (in 
this subsection referred to as the `plan') are the following:
            ``(1) The plan is developed in consultation with birth, 
        kinship, foster and adoptive families, community-based service 
        providers, technical assistance providers, and youth with lived 
        experience with foster care and adoption.
            ``(2) ) The plan describes --
                    ``(A) how the State plans to identify, notify, 
                engage, and support relatives as potential placement 
                resources for children;
                    ``(B) how the State plans to use data to establish 
                goals, assess needs, measure progress, reduce 
                unnecessary placements in congregate care, improve 
                placement stability, increase rates of kinship 
                placements, improve recruitment and retention of 
                families for teens, sibling groups, and other special 
                populations, and align the racial and ethnic 
                composition of foster and adoptive families with that 
                of children in need of homes; and
                    ``(C) how that State will stand up or support 
                foster family advisory boards for the purpose of 
                improving recruitment and retention of foster and 
                adoptive families.
            ``(3) The plan provides that, not less than annually, the 
        State shall collect and report on the State's actual foster 
        family capacity and congregate care utilization, including the 
        number, demographics, and characteristics of licensed foster 
        families, the number of such families that are not being fully 
        utilized and the reasons therefor, and the number, 
        demographics, and characteristics of children placed in 
        congregate care in-State and out-of-State.
            ``(4) The plan includes, and shall update not less than 
        annually, a summary of the most recent feedback from foster and 
        adoptive parents and youth regarding licensure, training, 
        support, and reasons why parents stop fostering.
            ``(5) The plan includes such other information relating to 
        foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention as the 
        Secretary may require.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        amendment made by this subsection shall take effect on October 
        1, 2022.
            (2) Delay permitted if state legislation required.--In the 
        case of a State plan approved under subpart 1 of part B of 
        title IV of the Social Security Act which the Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services determines requires State legislation 
        (other than legislation appropriating funds) in order for the 
        plan to meet the additional requirements imposed by this 
        subsection, the State plan shall not be regarded as failing to 
        comply with the requirements of such part solely on the basis 
        of the failure of the plan to meet such additional requirements 
        before the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning 
        after the close of the first regular session of the State 
        legislature that begins after the date of enactment of this 
        subsection. For purposes of the previous sentence, in the case 
        of a State that has a 2-year legislative session, each year of 
        such session shall be deemed to be a separate regular session 
        of the State legislature.

SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF INFORMATION ON FOSTER FAMILIES IN ANNUAL CHILD 
              WELFARE OUTCOMES REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Section 479A of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 679b) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (6)(C), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in paragraph (7)(B), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) include in the report submitted pursuant to paragraph 
        (5) for fiscal year 2023 or any succeeding fiscal year--
                    ``(A) State-by-State data on the number, 
                demographics, and characteristics of foster families in 
                the State, and the number of licensed foster families 
                not being utilized in the State and the reasons why; 
                and
                    ``(B) a summary of the challenges of, and barriers 
                to, being a foster parent, including with respect to 
                recruitment, licensure, engagement, retention, and why 
                parents stop fostering, as reported by States based on 
                surveys of foster parents.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Working group on data collection, use, and 
        presentation.--Not later than 3 months after the date of 
        enactment of the Data-Driven Foster Parent Recruitment and 
        Retention Act of 2022, the Secretary shall convene a working 
        group comprised of leading child welfare researchers, child 
        welfare practitioners, and individuals with lived experience in 
        foster care, including youth with experience in both family-
        based care and congregate care, to advise the Secretary on the 
        types, uses, and presentation of data to be included in the 
        annual report required under this section.''.
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