Updated Information

Clarification on Child Welfare Agency and Regional Partnerships

Q:  The Program Announcement specifies that “[t]he State child welfare agency that is responsible for the administration of the State Plan under title IV-B or title IV-E of the Social Security Act;.... [or] an Indian Tribe or Tribal Consortium” must be a member of the regional partnership.” In a State that has a child welfare system that is State supervised, county-administered, is the State child welfare agency still required to be a member of the regional partnership, or does the county child welfare agency meet that requirement?

A:  If your regional partnership consists of a county that is located in a State that is State-supervised, county-administered, the county child welfare agency satisfies the “administration of the State plan” requirement described above.  In such a partnership, the State agency that is ultimately responsible for State Plan compliance under title IV-B or title IV-E is not required to be a partner in the regional partnership, but also is not precluded from participating as a member of the regional partnership.  In a state administered system, a local office of the state child welfare agency can participate in the partnership and satisfy this statutory requirement.