H.R.579 - Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025 (119th Congress)
Summary
H.R. 579, the Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025, aims to improve foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention by amending parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act. The bill mandates states to develop and implement family partnership plans. These plans would focus on identifying, recruiting, screening, licensing, supporting, and retaining foster and adoptive families, using data-driven strategies.
Expected Effects
The bill will likely result in increased data collection and reporting requirements for states regarding their foster care systems. It also emphasizes the importance of engaging with various stakeholders, including birth families, foster and adoptive families, and youth with lived experience. Ultimately, the goal is to improve outcomes for children in foster care by increasing permanency and placement stability.
Potential Benefits
- Enhanced recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive families.
- Improved data collection and analysis to better understand the needs of children in foster care.
- Increased focus on kinship placements and reducing unnecessary placements in congregate care.
- Greater engagement of children and youth in recruitment efforts on their behalf.
- Better alignment of foster and adoptive families with the needs of children in care.
Potential Disadvantages
- Increased administrative burden on states to develop and implement the required family partnership plans.
- Potential costs associated with data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Possible delays in implementation if state legislation is required.
- Risk that the plans may not be effectively implemented or may not achieve the desired outcomes.
- The effectiveness of the act hinges on the quality and accuracy of the data collected and reported.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill appears to align with the general welfare clause of the Constitution, as it aims to improve the well-being of children in foster care. Specifically, the Constitution's preamble states the goal to "promote the general Welfare". The bill does not appear to infringe upon any specific individual rights or liberties protected by the Constitution or its amendments. The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states, but this bill operates through conditional spending (states must comply to receive certain federal funds), which is generally considered constitutional.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).