Laws & Policies

Current as of:

The Children's Bureau provides guidance to states, tribes, child welfare agencies, and more on the complex and varied federal laws as they relate to child welfare.

What’s New in Laws & Policies? 

This page provides resources and information about new federal legislation, regulations, and Children's Bureau policies.

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CB Policy

Displaying 1 - 10 of 557
  • This Program Instruction (PI) provides guidance on the eligibility requirements and grant application procedures for the State CIP grant for FY 2025, including updating the five-year strategic plan, and to provide guidance on the requirements for state courts to continuously assess and improve the handling of court proceedings related to child welfare and enhance collaboration with title IV-B/IV-E agencies and tribes.
  • The purpose of this Information Memorandum (IM) is to inform title IV-E agencies that a NPRM was published proposing to amend the AFCARS regulations to require state title IV-E agencies to collect and report data elements related to the procedural protections of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA). This NPRM was published in the Federal Register on February 23, 2024 (89 FR 13652 ).

  • PI-24-03

    Guidance to tribes on actions required to complete and submit the (1) Final Report for FYs 2020-2024; (2) the new CFSP for FYs 2025- 2029; and (3) the CFS-101, Parts I, II, and III.
    February 21, 2024
    Summary of actions required to complete and submit the (1) Final Report for FYs 2015-2019; (2) the new CFSP for FYs 2020- 2024; and (3) the CFS-101, Parts I, II, and III.
  • PI-24-02

    Summary of the actions required in completion and submission of (1) the Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP) Final Report and CAPTA Update FYs 2020-2024, (2) the CFSP for FYs 2025-2029, and (3) the CFS-101, Parts I, II, and III.
    February 15, 2024
    This Program Instruction (PI) provides guidance to states, territories, and insular areas (hereafter “states,” unless otherwise noted) on actions they are required to take to receive their allotments for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (subject to the availability of appropriations) authorized under title IV-B, subparts 1 and 2, section 106 of CAPTA, Chafee and ETV programs.
  • ACYF-CB-PI-24-01

    PI-24-01
    February 2, 2024
    This Program Instruction (PI) provides state and tribal title IV-E agencies (agencies) guidance and describes the documentation requirements an agency must complete to maintain compliance with CCWIS requirements while evaluating new child welfare business processes, tools, or information technologies through pilots.
  • This Information Memorandum (IM) provides agencies with information on contracting and procurement practices that promote increased participation by small businesses owned by members of disadvantaged, underserved, and marginalized communities in solicitations to develop a CCWIS.
  • This Information Memorandum (IM) provides introductory information to title IV-E tribes that choose to develop and implement an automated Child Welfare Information System. This IM contains information about how an automated system can support a tribal title IV-E agency’s child welfare program, implementing and maintaining systems, title IV-E funding, and the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS).
  • This Information Memorandum (IM) is to remind state and tribal title IV-E agencies of the school enrollment and educational stability requirements for students in foster care included in the title IV-E and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  • This Program Instruction provides instructions for title IV-E agencies that opt to adopt licensing or approval standards for relative or kinship foster family homes that differ from the standards used for non-relative foster family homes.  It also provides instructions for title IV-E agencies to implement the requirement that a licensed or approved relative or kinship foster family home receives the same amount of foster care maintenance payment (FCMP) that would have been made if the child was placed in a non-related/non-kinship foster family home.
  • This Information Memorandum (IM) informs title IV-E agencies that a notice of proposed rulemaking was published proposing to ensure the availability of safe and appropriate placements and services for children in foster care who identify as LGBTQI+.

Policy Resources

The following resources provide additional information about policy manuals, federal legislation, as well as state and tribal statutes.

  • Child Welfare Policy Manual: Policy questions and answers applicable to child welfare programs operated by the Children's Bureau.
  • The Title IV-E Plan Preprint - The current version of the title IV-E plan preprint for state and tribal title IV-E agencies is in the following program instructions: 
    • ACYF-CB-PI-18-07: Preprint Section A, State and Tribal Title IV-E Agency Plan for Foster Care Assistance, Adoption Assistance and Guardianship Assistance Programs 
    • ACYF-CB-PI-18-11: Preprint Section A, State and Tribal Title IV-E Agency Plan Attachment XII: Requirements for Participating in the Title IV-E Kinship Navigator Program 
    • ACYF-CB-PI-18-09: Preprint Section B, State Title IV-E Agency Plan for Title IV-E Prevention Services and Programs
    • ACYF-CB-PI-18-10: Preprint Section B, Tribal Title IV-E Agency Plan for Title IV-E Prevention Services and Programs
    • ACYF-CB-PI-23-08: Preprint amendment based on changes from the Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-348)
  • Form CB-496 — The current version of the Title IV-E Programs Quarterly Financial Report CB-496 with instructions is in ACYF-CB-PI-21-08, issued July 15, 2021.
  • Understanding and Complying With Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and The Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994, as amended by The Interethnic Adoption Provisions (IEP)  - This curriculum is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau, in coordination with the National Resource Center for Adoption, a service of the Children's Bureau.
  • Congress.gov  - Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.
  • State Statutes Search - Search Child Welfare Information Gateway for state statutes on issues related to child abuse and neglect, child welfare, and adoption. Results will provide summaries of state statutes (and full text of laws, in some cases).

Laws, Legislation, and Regulatory Actions

Federal Laws

Federal laws are bills that have passed both houses of Congress, been signed by the president, passed over the president’s veto, or allowed to become law without the president’s signature. Individual laws, also called acts, are arranged by subject in the United States Code . Federal laws that govern Children’s Bureau programs are: 

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) - This document presents CAPTA as amended by P.L. 115-271, the Substance Use—Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act or the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, enacted October 24, 2018. The text includes the Adoption Opportunities program.

Compilation of Titles IV-B, IV-E and Related Sections of the Social Security Act - This compilation includes the titles IV-B, IV-E, and related sections of the Social Security Act as amended by section 305 within Title III, Division CC of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, P.L. 116-260, enacted December 27, 2020.

Legislation

Legislation consists of bills introduced by legislative bodies to amend or enact laws.  Legislation must become law to have any force or effect. The Government Printing Office and Congress.gov provide access to the official public laws.  For a list of recently enacted child welfare-related laws, click here.  Additionally, the following resources provide information about some enacted federal child welfare laws:

  • Index of Federal Child Welfare Laws  - Since 1974, many laws have been passed by the U.S. Congress that impact children and families and the agencies that serve them. A list of selected laws is included.
  • About CAPTA: A Legislative History - This document summarizes the legislative history and purpose of CAPTA, the key federal legislation addressing child abuse and neglect.

Regulatory Actions

Executive branch agencies, such as the Administration for Children and Families issue regulations that interpret, implement, and enforce enacted laws. Regulations are published in the Federal Register . The Federal Register contains government agency rules, proposed rules, public notices.  It is published every weekday, except on federal holidays. The Regulatory Actions page provides the Children’s Bureau’s proposed and final regulations and notices for public comment since 2008 and includes links to the sections of the Code of Federal Regulations that govern the title IV-B and IV-E programs.

Technical Bulletins

The Children’s Bureau develops technical bulletins to supplement official guidance and assist states and tribes in implementing child welfare policies and practices. Technical bulletins cover a variety of topics, including the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD), the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS), and child welfare monitoring.

  • AFCARS Technical Bulletins - These technical bulletins supplement official guidance and assist states in developing, implementing, and maintaining their Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS).
  • NYTD Technical Bulletins - These technical bulletins supplement official guidance and assist states in developing and implementing the data collection and reporting requirements for the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD).
  • CCWIS Technical Bulletins - These technical bulletins supplement official guidance and assist states and tribes in developing, implementing, and maintaining their Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS).
  • CFSR Technical Bulletins - These technical bulletins supplement official guidance and assist states in understanding and preparing for child welfare monitoring reviews.
  • Legal and Judicial - This technical bulletin supplements official guidance and assist states and tribes regarding legal and judicial matters.
  • Title IV-E Prevention Program Technical Bulletins - These technical bulletins supplement official guidance and assist title IV-E agencies in implementing data collection and reporting requirements for the title IV-E prevention program.