This report discusses reauthorization of the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program (and amendments to related programs) in the 109 th Congress, as enacted by P.L. 109-288 . It also provides information on PSSF funding. It concludes with a number of appendices. The first of these shows (in table form) selected provisions in prior law compared with provisions in reauthorization legislation considered in the 109 th Congress, as well as the final provisions enacted in P.L. 109-288 . Other appendices provide a legislative history of the PSSF program, discuss certain policy issues related to the program, and offer an overview of federal programs providing funding for purposes related to those of the PSSF program. The Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 ( P.L. 109-288 ) extended funding authorization for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program (Title IV-B, Subpart 2 of the Social Security Act) for five years (FY2007-FY2011). The program primarily provides formula grants to states, territories, and tribes for provision of four broad categories of services to children and families: community-based family support, family preservation, time-limited reunification, and adoption promotion and support. P.L. 109-288 increased the amount of funds that will be made available to tribes for these purposes and also provides that no less than $40 million of funds provided for the program annually (through FY2011) are to be set-aside for competitive grants to eligible regional partnerships to address child welfare issues raised by parent/caretaker abuse of methamphetamine (or other substances) and for formula grants to states to support monthly caseworker visits to children in foster care. In addition, as under prior law, a part of the total funding provided for the PSSF program is reserved for certain grants under the Court Improvement Program (CIP, Section 438 of the Social Security Act). These CIP grants are distributed by formula to each eligible highest state court and are for those courts to assess and make improvements to their handling of child welfare cases. Finally, funds are also set aside for evaluation, research, and technical assistance related to the PSSF program. P.L. 109-288 provides that a portion of those set-aside funds must be used to provide evaluations, research and technical assistance related to monthly caseworker visits and grants to improve the outcomes of children affected by parent/caretaker abuse of methamphetamine or other substances. The Promoting Safe and Stable Families program was initially created as a program of "Family Preservation and Support Services" by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 ( P.L. 103-66 ). That program was reauthorized, expanded, and given its current name by the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 ( P.L. 105-89 ). Subsequently, Congress passed the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001 ( P.L. 107-133 ), which reauthorized the program through FY2006. More recently, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 ( P.L. 109-171 ) increased the authorization for mandatory PSSF appropriations by $40 million for FY2006 and, separately, appropriated funding ($20 million for each of FY2006-FY2010) for two new kinds of grants under the Court Improvement Program. The Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees have exercised jurisdiction over the program and both committees held hearings related to reauthorization of this program during 2006. In addition to reauthorizing the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program and extending certain Court Improvement Program grants, P.L. 109-288 made significant amendments to the Child Welfare Services program (Title IV-B, Subpart 1 of the Social Security Act). That program provides formula grants to states for a wide range of services to children and families and was first authorized in 1935 by the original Social Security Act. Under prior law, that program had an "indefinite" or "no-year" funding authorization. P.L. 109-288 set the program's funding authorization to expire with FY2011 (placing it on the same reauthorization calendar as the PSSF program) and made other changes related to the program's purposes, how funds may be used under the program and what states are required to do in order to receive these funds. Finally, P.L. 109-288 extended funding authorization for the Mentoring Children of Prisoners program (Section 439 of the Social Security Act), which provides funds to eligible entities to support mentoring services for children of prisoners. In addition to extending the program's funding authorization for these site-based, competitive grants, P.L. 109-288 authorized a demonstration project to test the effectiveness of using vouchers to deliver these services more broadly. On September 28, 2006, the President signed the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006, which was enacted as P.L. 109-288 . By unanimous consent, the Senate on September 20, 2006 amended (S. Amdt 5024 and S. Amdt 5025) and passed the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 ( S. 3525 ). On September 26, 2006 the House passed identical legislation under suspension of the rules. The final legislation included significant portions of separate bills previously passed in the House and in the Senate. On June 8, 2006, a unanimous Senate Finance Committee ordered favorably reported a bill to reauthorize the PSSF program and make other changes. On June 15, that bill, the Improving Outcomes for Children Affected by Meth Act of 2006 ( S. 3525 ) was introduced by Senator Grassley and a written report from the Finance Committee was submitted on June 23 ( S.Rept. 109-269 ). On July 13, 2006, the Senate passed the legislation by unanimous consent and then sent the bill to the House for further action. Before approving this legislation, the Senate Finance Committee held two related hearings. On April 25, 2006, witnesses, including child welfare program administrators, advocates, and researchers, as well as individuals in recovery from methamphetamine, testified at a hearing titled "The Social and Economic Effects of the Methamphetamine Epidemic on America's Child Welfare System." A number of witnesses emphasized that treatment for methamphetamine abuse, especially family-based, longer-term and comprehensive residential treatment, can be effective, and that increasing access to these services could improve the lives of children and their families affected by methamphetamine abuse. On May 10, 2006, in a hearing titled "Fostering Permanence: Progress Achieved and Challenges Ahead for America's Child Welfare Systems," the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony from child welfare advocates and policy experts, federal and tribal program administrators, and a former foster care youth. These witnesses stressed the need for continued federal support of child welfare programs; the tribal administrator emphasized the limited funds available to her tribe and the many challenges it faced, including methamphetamine abuse. On June 20, 2006, Representatives Wally Herger and Jim McDermott, introduced the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 ( H.R. 5640 ). After amending the bill, the House Ways and Means Committee gave it unanimous approval on June 29, 2006 and the bill was reported to the House on July 12 ( H.Rept. 109-555 ). Under suspension of the rules, the House passed this legislation (renumbered as S. 3525 ) on July 25, 2006. On May 23, 2006, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources held a hearing to review proposals to improve child protective services. The subcommittee heard from representatives of the court, social workers, state child welfare agencies, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and many advocates—representing a range of viewpoints—who spoke on behalf of children served in the child welfare system. As enacted, the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 ( S. 3525 , P.L. 109-288 ) incorporates language approved in two earlier versions of S. 3525 . The following discussion describes provisions of the enacted legislation. (For a table comparing selected provisions from each of the predecessor bills along with prior law and current law, see Appendix A .) Under prior law, the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program was authorized to receive mandatory appropriations of $345 million in FY2006 and discretionary appropriations of $200 million. P.L. 109-288 extended these same funding authorization levels to each of FY2007-FY2011. The costs of the PSSF program are shared by the federal government (75%) and the states (at least 25%). Under prior law, a state was not permitted to spend more than 10% of its federal PSSF funds for administrative purposes, but there was no limit on use of the state PSSF funds (often described as "matching" funds) that could be spent for administrative purposes. Beginning with FY2008, P.L. 109-288 extends the 10% limit on spending for administrative purposes to include all funds spent under the program, both federal and non-federal (or matching). Federal law and policy emphasize planning the use of PSSF funds (along with the Child Welfare Services and other child welfare or related programs) to ensure that a comprehensive range of child and family services is developed in each state. (See Appendix C "Planning and Reporting.") In keeping with this emphasis, states are required to annually send information to HHS on their planned use of funds under the PSSF, Child Welfare Services, and other child welfare and related programs. Beginning on June 30, 2007, P.L. 109-288 requires states to annually submit actual (in addition to planned) expenditure data on their use of funds under the PSSF and Child Welfare Services programs. (States, at their own option, may also provide data on actual use of funds for child welfare purposes in other programs.)