Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§629 Purpose
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - SOCIAL SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - GRANTS TO STATES FOR AID AND SERVICES TO NEEDY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND FOR CHILD-WELFARE SERVICES › Part Part B— - Child and Family Services › Subpart subpart 2— - promoting safe and stable families › § 629
Summary
Allows states to create and run community programs that give family support, keep families together, reunite children with their families, and promote adoption. The programs aim to prevent child abuse and neglect in at‑risk families; keep children safe at home and preserve families when problems can be solved; help safe, stable reunification of foster children under the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997; and provide support to adoptive families so they can care for their children for life.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §629
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The purpose of this program is to enable States to develop and establish, or expand, and to operate coordinated programs of community-based family support services, family preservation services, family reunification services, and adoption promotion and support services to accomplish the following objectives:
(1)To prevent child maltreatment among families at risk through the provision of supportive family services.
(2)To assure children’s safety within the home and preserve intact families in which children have been maltreated, when the family’s problems can be addressed effectively.
(3)To address the problems of families whose children have been placed in foster care so that reunification may occur in a safe and stable manner in accordance with the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997.
(4)To support adoptive families by providing support services as necessary so that they can make a lifetime commitment to their children.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, referred to in par. (3), is Pub. L. 105–89, Nov. 19, 1997, 111 Stat. 2115. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
of 1997 Amendment note set out under section 1305 of this title and Tables.
Prior Provisions
A prior section 430 of act Aug. 14, 1935, was classified to section 630 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 100–485, title II, § 202(a), Oct. 13, 1988, 102 Stat. 2377.
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–123 struck out “time-limited” before “family reunification services” in introductory provisions. 2006—Pub. L. 109–288 substituted “Purpose” for “Findings and purpose” in section catchline, struck out subsec. (a) relating to findings, and struck out subsec. (b) designation and heading before “The purpose”. 2002—Pub. L. 107–133 amended section generally, substituting subsecs. (a) and (b) relating to findings and purpose for former subsecs. (a) to (d) relating to purposes, limitations on authorizations of appropriations, description of amounts, inflation percentage, and reservation of certain amounts. 1997—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–89, § 305(b)(3)(A), substituted “, community-based family support services, time-limited family reunification services, and adoption promotion and support services” for “and community-based family support services”. Subsec. (b)(6) to (8). Pub. L. 105–89, § 305(a)(1), added pars. (6) to (8). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–89, § 305(a)(2), substituted “1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001” for “and 1998” in pars. (1) and (2).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–123 effective Oct. 1, 2018, subject to transition rules for required State legislation or tribal action, see section 50734 of Pub. L. 115–123, set out as a note under section 622 of this title.
Effective Date
of 2006 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 109–288 effective Oct. 1, 2006, and applicable to payments under this part and part E of this subchapter for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, without regard to whether implementing
Regulations
have been promulgated, and with delay permitted if State legislation is required to meet additional requirements, see section 12(a), (b) of Pub. L. 109–288, set out as a note under section 621 of this title.
Effective Date
of 2002 Amendment Pub. L. 107–133, title III, § 301, Jan. 17, 2002, 115 Stat. 2425, provided that: “(a) In General.—Subject to subsection (b), the
Amendments
made by this Act [enacting sections 629f to 629i of this title and amending this section and section 629a, 629c, 629d, 629e, 674, and 677 of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 17, 2002]. “(b) Delay Permitted if State Legislation Required.—In the case of a State plan under subpart 2 of part B or part E of the Social Security Act [probably means subpart 2 of part B or part E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629 et seq., 670 et seq.)] that the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines requires State legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) in order for the plan to meet the additional requirements imposed by the
Amendments
specified in subsection (a) of this section, the State plan shall not be regarded as failing to comply with the requirements of such part solely on the basis of the failure of the plan to meet the additional requirements before the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning after the close of the first regular session of the State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 17, 2001]. For purposes of the preceding sentence, in the case of a State that has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the session shall be deemed to be a separate regular session of the State legislature.”
Effective Date
of 1997 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–89 effective Nov. 19, 1997, except as otherwise provided, with delay permitted if State legislation is required, see section 501 of Pub. L. 105–89, set out as a note under section 622 of this title.
Effective Date
Subpart effective with respect to calendar quarters beginning on or after Oct. 1, 1993, see section 13711(c) of Pub. L. 103–66, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1993 Amendment note under section 622 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 629
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73