Title: Supporting Adoptive Families Act
Policy area: Families

Summary:
Supporting Adoptive Families Act  This bill requires the Center for Mental Health Services to award grants to states, tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations to provide mental health services for adopted children. The bill also specifics that pre- and post-adoptive services include education, training, counseling, mentoring, and other direct services.  The Department of Health and Human Services also must issue rules providing for the collection and analysis of data about adoption disruption and dissolution.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1450 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1450

          To enhance pre- and post-adoptive support services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 14, 2019

  Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mr. Blunt) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
          To enhance pre- and post-adoptive support services.

    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 ``Supporting Adoptive Families Act''.

SEC. 2. ADOPTION SUPPORT SERVICES.

    (a) Ensuring Well-Being of Adopted Children and Adoptive 
Families.--Section 421 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(5) ensuring the well-being of adopted children and their 
        adoptive families and promoting efforts to prevent such 
        children from entering the foster care system through the 
        provision of pre- and post-adoptive support services; and''.
    (b) Pre- and Post-Adoptive Support Services.--Paragraph (8) of 
section 431(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629a(a)) is amended to read as 
follows:
            ``(8) Adoption promotion and support services.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `adoption promotion and 
                support services' means services and activities 
                designed to encourage more adoptions out of the foster 
                care system and support domestic adoptions and 
                adoptions from other countries, consistent with 
                promoting the best interests of adopted children and 
                their adoptive families. Such services and activities 
                may include pre- and post-adoptive support services, as 
                described in subparagraph (B), that are designed to 
                support adopted children and their adoptive families.
                    ``(B) Pre- and post-adoptive support services.--The 
                term `pre- and post-adoptive support services' means 
                the following:
                            ``(i) Pre-adoptive support services, which 
                        may include--
                                    ``(I) direct services, including 
                                training, educational support, 
                                counseling, and other services for 
                                adoptive parents and families that 
                                address caregiver interests and 
                                concerns regarding common behavioral 
                                issues, such as--
                                            ``(aa) issues relating to 
                                        emotional, behavioral, or 
                                        developmental health needs;
                                            ``(bb) issues relating to 
                                        attachment, identity, 
                                        abandonment, cultural 
                                        differences, grief, and loss; 
                                        and
                                            ``(cc) issues resulting 
                                        from birth defects due to fetal 
                                        alcohol syndrome or any other 
                                        substance abuse-related 
                                        developmental disorder;
                                    ``(II) the provision of educational 
                                resources for adoptive parents 
                                regarding the geographic, ethnic, and 
                                cultural background of the adopted 
                                child;
                                    ``(III) peer-to-peer mentoring and 
                                support groups that permit a newly 
                                adoptive parent to communicate and 
                                learn from more experienced adoptive 
                                parents, including programs that 
                                enhance communication between adoptive 
                                parents with children of similar 
                                geographic, ethnic, or cultural 
                                backgrounds; and
                                    ``(IV) the provision of 
                                informational resources for adoptive 
                                parents, including--
                                            ``(aa) resources available 
                                        through Federal and State 
                                        agencies, including information 
                                        regarding benefits for children 
                                        with a medical condition or a 
                                        physical, mental, or emotional 
                                        disability;
                                            ``(bb) newsletters, Web 
                                        sites, and other informational 
                                        resources regarding adoption-
                                        related services;
                                            ``(cc) the establishment of 
                                        lending libraries containing 
                                        information and resources for 
                                        adoptive parents; and
                                            ``(dd) conferences, 
                                        discussion groups, and seminars 
                                        that are available to adoptive 
                                        parents and other relevant 
                                        stakeholders.
                            ``(ii) Post-adoptive support services, 
                        which may include--
                                    ``(I) continued provision to 
                                adoptive parents of pre-adoptive 
                                support services described in clause 
                                (i);
                                    ``(II) the provision of accessible 
                                and reliable respite services for 
                                adoptive parents;
                                    ``(III) direct services and 
                                counseling for adopted children, 
                                including, as appropriate--
                                            ``(aa) support services for 
                                        an adopted child with 
                                        emotional, behavioral, or 
                                        developmental health needs;
                                            ``(bb) support services 
                                        that address issues relating to 
                                        attachment, identity, 
                                        abandonment, cultural 
                                        differences, grief, and loss; 
                                        and
                                            ``(cc) treatment services 
                                        that are specialized for 
                                        adopted children, including 
                                        psychiatric residential 
                                        services, outpatient mental 
                                        health services, social skills 
                                        training, intensive in-home 
                                        supervision services, 
                                        recreational therapy, suicide 
                                        prevention, and substance abuse 
                                        treatment;
                                    ``(IV) peer-to-peer mentoring and 
                                support groups that allow adopted 
                                children to communicate and socialize 
                                with other adopted children, including 
                                programs that provide for communication 
                                between adopted children from similar 
                                geographic, ethnic, or cultural 
                                backgrounds; and
                                    ``(V) crisis and family 
                                preservation services, including crisis 
                                counseling and a 24-hour emergency 
                                hotline for adoptive parents.''.

SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR ADOPTION SUPPORT SERVICES.

    Paragraph (8) of section 473(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 673(a)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(8) With respect to the amount of savings (if any) in 
        State expenditures under this part resulting from the 
        application of paragraph (2)(A)(ii) to all applicable children 
        for a fiscal year, a State shall--
                    ``(A) spend a significant portion of such amount to 
                provide pre- and post-adoptive support services (as 
                defined in section 431(a)(8)(B));
                    ``(B) spend the remainder of such amount to provide 
                to children or families any other services that may be 
                provided under this part or part B; and
                    ``(C) on an annual basis, submit to the Secretary a 
                report that provides a detailed account of any services 
                that were funded pursuant to this paragraph.''.

SEC. 4. FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM FOR POST-ADOPTION MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

    Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290bb-31 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 520N. POST-ADOPTION MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant 
Secretary, shall award grants or cooperative agreements to eligible 
entities to--
            ``(1) develop and implement State-sponsored Statewide or 
        tribal post-adoption mental health service programs for all 
        adopted children;
            ``(2) support public organization and private nonprofit 
        organizations actively involved in State-sponsored Statewide or 
        tribal post-adoption mental health service programs;
            ``(3) collect and analyze data on State-sponsored Statewide 
        or tribal post-adoption mental health service programs that can 
        be used to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for 
        research, technical assistance, and policy development;
            ``(4) develop and provide educational and training 
        opportunities concerning the mental health needs of adopted 
        children and their families for use by teachers, social 
        workers, and other community mental health service providers; 
        and
            ``(5) develop and provide materials for potential adoptive 
        parents, both for domestic adoptions and adoptions from other 
        countries, describing the possible need for post-adoption 
        mental health services and available resources.
    ``(b) Eligible Entity.--
            ``(1) Definition.--In this section, the term `eligible 
        entity' means--
                    ``(A) a State;
                    ``(B) a public organization or private nonprofit 
                organization designated by a State to develop or direct 
                the State-sponsored Statewide post-adoption mental 
                health service program under a grant under this 
                section; and
                    ``(C) a federally recognized Indian tribe or tribal 
                organization (as defined in the Indian Self-
                Determination and Education Assistance Act) or an urban 
                Indian organization (as defined in the Indian Health 
                Care Improvement Act) that is actively involved in the 
                development and continuation of a post-adoption mental 
                health service program.
            ``(2) Limitation.--In carrying out this section, the 
        Secretary shall ensure that each State is awarded only 1 grant 
        or cooperative agreement under this section. For purposes of 
        the preceding sentence, a State shall be considered to have 
        been awarded a grant or cooperative agreement if the eligible 
        entity involved is the State or an entity designated by the 
        State under paragraph (1)(B). Nothing in this paragraph shall 
        be construed to apply to entities described in paragraph 
        (1)(C).
    ``(c) Preference.--In providing assistance under a grant or 
cooperative agreement under this section, the Secretary shall give 
preference to eligible entities that have demonstrated success in 
increasing the level of adoption competency among mental health 
providers, adoption lawyers, social workers, case workers, and adoptive 
parents.
    ``(d) Requirement for Direct Services.--Not less than 85 percent of 
funds received under a grant or cooperative agreement under this 
section shall be used to provide direct services, of which not less 
than 5 percent shall be used for activities authorized under subsection 
(a)(3).
    ``(e) Coordination and Collaboration.--
            ``(1) In general.--In carrying out this section, the 
        Secretary shall collaborate with relevant Federal agencies and 
        adoption-related working groups to promote interaction between 
        domestic foster care agencies and private adoption agencies in 
        other countries.
            ``(2) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the 
        Secretary shall consult with--
                    ``(A) State and social service agencies engaged in 
                the placement of children for adoption, domestically or 
                from other countries;
                    ``(B) local and national organizations that serve 
                foster and adopted youth;
                    ``(C) health and education specialists who focus on 
                adoption and foster care medicine;
                    ``(D) youth who have been in foster care or 
                adopted, domestically or from other countries;
                    ``(E) families and friends of youth who have been 
                in foster care or adopted, domestically or from other 
                countries; and
                    ``(F) qualified professionals who possess the 
                specialized knowledge, skills, experience, and relevant 
                attributes needed to serve adopted children and their 
                families.
            ``(3) Policy development.--In carrying out this section, 
        the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) coordinate and collaborate on policy 
                development with the Administration for Children and 
                Families and other relevant Department of Health and 
                Human Services agencies and adoption-related working 
                groups; and
                    ``(B) consult on policy development at the Federal 
                level with those in the private sector engaged in the 
                recruitment of foster and adoptive parents, the 
                placement of children in foster care and for adoption, 
                and the provision of post-adoption services.
    ``(f) Evaluation and Report.--
            ``(1) Evaluations by eligible entities.--Not later than 18 
        months after receipt of a grant or cooperative agreement under 
        this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary 
        the results of an evaluation to be conducted by the entity 
        concerning the effectiveness of the activities carried out 
        under the grant or agreement.
            ``(2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning the 
        results of--
                    ``(A) the evaluations conducted under paragraph 
                (1); and
                    ``(B) an evaluation conducted by the Secretary to 
                analyze the effectiveness of the activities conducted 
                with grants, collaborations, and consultations under 
                this section.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Adopted child.--The term `adopted child' means an 
        individual who is under 21 years of age and was adopted from 
        foster care, through a private placement agency, or from 
        another country.
            ``(2) Adoption competency.--The term `adoption competency' 
        means an understanding of--
                    ``(A) the nature of adoption as a form of family 
                formation and the different types of adoption;
                    ``(B) relevant emotional and physical issues 
                involved in the adoption process, including issues 
                relating to separation, loss, attachment, abuse, 
                trauma, and neglect;
                    ``(C) common developmental challenges associated 
                with adoption;
                    ``(D) the characteristics and skills that allow for 
                successful adoptive families;
                    ``(E) proper sensitivity with respect to the 
                different geographic, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds 
                of adopted children and adoptive families; and
                    ``(F) the necessary skills for effectively 
                advocating on behalf of birth and adoptive families.
            ``(3) Post-adoption mental health services.--The term 
        `post-adoption mental health services' includes--
                    ``(A) direct services, including training, 
                educational support, counseling, and other services for 
                adoptive parents and families that address caregiver 
                interests and concerns regarding child behavioral 
                issues that are common among adopted children and 
                children in foster care, including, as appropriate--
                            ``(i) caring for an adopted child with 
                        emotional, behavioral, or developmental health 
                        needs; and
                            ``(ii) providing for the emotional needs of 
                        an adopted child, including issues relating to 
                        attachment, identity, abandonment, cultural 
                        differences, grief, and loss;
                    ``(B) peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups 
                that permit a newly adoptive parent to communicate and 
                learn from more experienced adoptive parents;
                    ``(C) the provision of informational resources and 
                available services for adoptive parents;
                    ``(D) direct services, including counseling, peer-
                to-peer mentoring and support groups, and other 
                services for adopted children that address common 
                behavioral and adjustment issues, including, as 
                appropriate--
                            ``(i) support services for an adopted child 
                        with emotional, behavioral, or developmental 
                        health needs;
                            ``(ii) support services that address the 
                        emotional needs of an adopted child, including 
                        issues relating to attachment, identity, 
                        abandonment, cultural differences, grief, and 
                        loss; and
                            ``(iii) treatment services that are 
                        specialized for adopted children, including 
                        psychiatric residential services, outpatient 
                        mental health services, social skills training, 
                        intensive in-home supervision services, 
                        recreational therapy, suicide prevention, and 
                        substance abuse treatment;
                    ``(E) peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups 
                that allow adopted children to communicate and 
                socialize with other adopted children; and
                    ``(F) crisis intervention and family preservation 
                services.
    ``(h) Funding for Post-Adoption Mental Health Services.--From 
amounts appropriated to carry out title III, V, or XIX of the Public 
Health Service Act for each fiscal year, $20,000,000 shall be used by 
the Secretary in each such fiscal year to fund services and programs 
authorized under this section.''.

SEC. 5. DATA COLLECTION ON ADOPTION DISRUPTION AND DISSOLUTION.

    (a) In General.--Section 479 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
679) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e)(1) Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of 
the Supporting Adoptive Families Act, the Secretary shall, as part of 
the data collection system established under this section, promulgate 
final regulations providing for the collection and analysis of 
information regarding children who enter into State custody as a result 
of the disruption of a placement for adoption or the dissolution of an 
adoption, which shall require States to collect and report--
            ``(A) information on children who are adopted within the 
        United States or from other countries and who enter into State 
        custody as a result of the disruption of a placement for 
        adoption or the dissolution of an adoption, including--
                    ``(i) the number of children who enter into State 
                custody as a result of--
                            ``(I) the disruption of placement for 
                        adoption; or
                            ``(II) the dissolution of an adoption; and
                    ``(ii) for each child identified under clause (i)--
                            ``(I) as applicable, the country of birth 
                        for any child who was not born in the United 
                        States;
                            ``(II) the length of the adoption placement 
                        prior to disruption or dissolution;
                            ``(III) the age of the child at the time of 
                        the disruption or dissolution;
                            ``(IV) the reason for the disruption or 
                        dissolution; and
                            ``(V) the agencies who handled the 
                        placement for adoption; and
            ``(B) such other information as determined appropriate by 
        the Secretary.
    ``(2) The information described in paragraph (1) shall be used--
            ``(A) to consolidate and expand the collection of 
        information on adoption disruption and dissolution;
            ``(B) to improve research and data collection systems in 
        order to more accurately determine and measure the rates, 
        outcomes, and causes of adoption disruption and dissolution;
            ``(C) to identify pre- and post-adoptive support services 
        (including services described in section 431(a)(8)(B)) that 
        result in lower rates of disruption and dissolution of 
        adoptions;
            ``(D) to develop an understanding of the relationship 
        between the rate of incidence of adoption disruptions and 
        dissolutions and the support services that are provided to 
        adoptive families in order to identify and develop effective 
        evidence-based strategies, programs, and support services that 
        help to prevent adoption disruption and dissolution; and
            ``(E) to develop and enhance training and educational 
        services regarding strategies for prevention of adoption 
        disruption and dissolution.
    ``(3)(A) Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of the 
Supporting Adoptive Families Act, the Secretary shall, subject to 
subparagraph (B), establish an advisory committee to study methods to 
effectively collect data regarding disruption and dissolution of 
adoptions that are not included in the data collection system 
established under this section, including--
            ``(i) data on children whose adoptions are disrupted or 
        dissolved but do not enter into State custody as a result of 
        such disruption or dissolution;
            ``(ii) data on adoption displacements, whereby an adopted 
        child is temporarily placed out of the home of an adoptive 
        parent in order to receive medical, mental health, behavioral, 
        or other forms of treatment; and
            ``(iii) such other data as determined appropriate by the 
        Secretary.
    ``(B) The membership and organization of the advisory committee 
described in subparagraph (A) shall be determined by the Secretary and 
shall include--
            ``(i) State and child welfare agencies that are engaged in 
        the placement of children for adoption domestically or from 
        other countries;
            ``(ii) local and national organizations that serve adopted 
        children and children in foster care; and
            ``(iii) members of State and local judiciary and court 
        staff.
    ``(C) Not later than 12 months after establishment of the advisory 
committee described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit to 
the appropriate committees of Congress a report containing 
recommendations of the advisory committee for improvement of the data 
collection system established under this section.''.
    (b) Annual Report.--Section 479A(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 679b(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(8) include in the report submitted pursuant to paragraph 
        (5) for fiscal year 2020 or any succeeding fiscal year, 
        national and State-by-State data on the numbers and rates of 
        disruptions and dissolutions of adoptions, as collected 
        pursuant to section 479(e)(1).''.
                                 <all>