Supporting Adopted Children and Families Act
Sponsored By: Senator Amy Klobuchar
Introduced
Summary
This bill would expand and define federal support by requiring and funding comprehensive __pre- and post-adoption support services__ to promote adopted children’s well‑being and reduce returns to foster care. It would also create a targeted grant program and strengthen data collection on adoption disruptions.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Federal grants for post-adoption mental health
If enacted, the federal government would reserve $20 million each year for fiscal years 2026 through 2029 for grants to build statewide or tribal post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health programs. Eligible applicants would include States, State‑designated public or private nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes or urban Indian organizations. Each State could get only one award, at least 85% of grant money must fund direct services, and at least 5% of those direct-service dollars must pay for data and analysis. Grantees would need to submit an evaluation within 18 months, and HHS would report to Congress within two years.
State reinvestment and expanded services
If enacted, the law would broaden what counts as adoption promotion and support services to explicitly list many pre- and post-adoption services, like training, counseling, respite care, psychiatric and outpatient care, social skills training, and a 24-hour crisis hotline. States would be required to spend a significant portion of certain child welfare savings on these expanded supports and use any remainder on other authorized services. States would also have to report yearly to HHS on how they used those savings. The changes would take effect for applicable payments on October 1, 2025.
New adoption disruption data and reports
If enacted, HHS would have to issue final rules within 12 months requiring States to report data on children who reenter custody because an adoption was disrupted or dissolved. Required data would include counts and per-child details such as country of birth (if not U.S.), length of the adoption placement, age at disruption, reasons, and involved agencies. The Secretary would create an advisory committee within six months to study how to capture disruptions that do not enter State custody and would send recommendations to Congress within about a year. Starting with fiscal year 2026, the annual federal report would include national and State-by-State disruption and dissolution numbers and rates.
New child welfare goals and deadlines
If enacted, the bill would amend the stated purpose of federal child welfare programs to explicitly include supporting the well-being of adopted children and preventing reentry to foster care by funding pre- and post-adoption supports. The change would apply to Parts B and E payments for calendar quarters starting on or after October 1, 2025, though States could get extra time if HHS finds that State law is needed. The Secretary could also give tribes more time before finding them noncompliant.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Cosponsors
Kevin Cramer
ND • R
Sponsored 2/13/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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