§254c–6 Certain Services for Pregnant Women

Summary

The Secretary must give grants to national, regional, or local adoption groups so they can train staff at public and nonprofit health centers to provide adoption information and referrals. The training must teach staff to offer adoption on an equal basis with all other options in counseling that does not push one choice. Grants can only be made if the adoption group follows best-practice guidelines that the Secretary helps create with adoption groups and public health entities. Those guidelines had to be finished within 180 days after October 17, 2000, and no grants can be made before the guidelines exist. Grantees may run programs themselves or fund other adoption groups and may develop training materials that match the guidelines. Trainers must know all parts of the adoption process and be experienced in the areas served by the health centers, though trainers can be trained in a different place. “Adoption organization” means a nonprofit whose main work is adoption and that knows how to give adoption information. “Designated staff” are the center workers who give pregnancy or adoption information. “Eligible health centers” are public or nonprofit centers serving pregnant women. The training must include centers funded under sections 300, 254b, and school service grants. The Secretary must tell eligible centers about the training, encourage them to join, and the training groups must pay centers’ training costs. The Secretary must report to Congress by 1 year after October 17, 2000, and again after training starts, on how often adoption information is offered. Reports must not break patient confidentiality or interfere with the provider‑patient relationship. Grants require an application, and funds were authorized as needed for fiscal years 2001 through 2005.