Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025 | ChamberLight

PASSED HOUSE· 119TH CONGRESS

House BillHR 579Adoption and foster careFamily services

Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025

INTRO JAN 21· LAST ACTION MAR 5

READING

5MIN

COSPONSORS

2BIPARTISAN

READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL

NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

One chamber only

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

This bill matters because it addresses a critical need in the child welfare system: finding enough stable, supportive homes for children who cannot safely remain with their birth parents. Many states face shortages of foster and adoptive families, leading to children spending more time in group homes or moving between multiple placements, which can be disruptive to their development.

If this bill becomes law, states would be compelled to be more strategic and data-driven in their approach to recruitment and retention. This could lead to more children being placed with relatives or in foster/adoptive homes that better meet their needs, improving placement stability and permanency outcomes. Without this bill, states would continue their current approaches, which may lack the specific consultation, data analysis, and targeted recruitment strategies mandated here, potentially leaving gaps in finding suitable families for vulnerable children.

KEY PROVISIONS

5AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Requires states to develop a 'Family Partnership Plan' for identifying, recruiting, screening, licensing, supporting, and retaining foster and adoptive families.

This provision introduces a mandatory, comprehensive framework for states to improve their foster care and adoption systems.

PROVISION 02

Mandates that these state plans be developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including birth families, kinship caregivers, foster and adoptive families, and youth with lived experience.

This ensures that the plans are informed by the direct experiences and perspectives of those most affected by the child welfare system.

PROVISION 03

Requires states to describe in their plans how they will identify, engage, and support relatives as potential placements, and how they will develop child-specific recruitment plans for every child needing a home.

This prioritizes keeping children with family members and creates a more individualized approach to finding homes for children.

PROVISION 04

Directs states to use data to establish goals, measure progress, reduce congregate care, increase kinship placements, and align family composition with children's needs, and to establish foster family advisory boards.

This promotes evidence-based decision-making and ensures ongoing feedback from foster families to address systemic issues.

PROVISION 05

Requires states to annually collect and report on foster family capacity, congregate care utilization, and detailed feedback from foster/adoptive parents and youth regarding challenges and reasons for placement disruptions.

This ensures transparency and provides crucial data to identify specific problems and inform targeted interventions at both state and federal levels.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 2

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 100%

DEM 1 REP 1 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

9 EVENTS

MAR 5

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

SENATE · INTROREFERRAL

MAR 4

Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

HOUSE · FLOOR

MAR 4

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H962-964)

FLOOR

MAR 4

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 579.

FLOOR

BILL INFO

TypeHouse Bill

NumberHR 579

Congress119th

StatusPassed House

IntroducedJan 21, 2025

Last actionMar 5, 2025

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PASSED HOUSE· 119TH CONGRESS · WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JAN 21, 2025

House BillHR 579Adoption and foster careFamily services

Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025

INTRODUCED JAN 21, 2025· LAST ACTION MAR 5, 2025

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

5 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Requires states to develop a 'Family Partnership Plan' for identifying, recruiting, screening, licensing, supporting, and retaining foster and adoptive families.

This provision introduces a mandatory, comprehensive framework for states to improve their foster care and adoption systems.

med

This ensures that the plans are informed by the direct experiences and perspectives of those most affected by the child welfare system.

high

This prioritizes keeping children with family members and creates a more individualized approach to finding homes for children.

high

This promotes evidence-based decision-making and ensures ongoing feedback from foster families to address systemic issues.

high

This ensures transparency and provides crucial data to identify specific problems and inform targeted interventions at both state and federal levels.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

October 1, 2026

State Plan Amendment effective date

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 enactment.

Delay permitted if state legislation is required (other than appropriations)

Annually

States must annually collect and report data for the Family Partnership Plan and update the plan.

For fiscal year 2025 or any succeeding fiscal year

Federal annual child welfare outcomes report to Congress must include new foster and adoptive family information

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Title IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act: These are federal programs that provide financial assistance to states for child welfare services (IV-B, such as family preservation) and for foster care maintenance payments and adoption assistance (IV-E).
Congregate Care: Group living arrangements or residential facilities for children, as opposed to children living in a family home.
Kinship Care: When a child is placed in the care of a relative or a close family friend, rather than a non-related foster family.
State Plan Amendment: A formal change a state makes to its official plan describing how it will operate a federal program (like child welfare services) to comply with new federal requirements or laws.
Child-Specific Recruitment: Efforts tailored to find a foster or adoptive family for an individual child, taking into account their unique needs, background, and preferences, rather than general recruitment efforts.
Placement Stability: How consistently a child in foster care stays in the same living arrangement, avoiding frequent moves between different homes or facilities.
Permanency

ACTION TIMELINE

9 EVENTS

MAR 5, 25

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

INTROREFERRAL

MAR 4, 25

Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

FLOOR

MAR 4, 25

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H962-964)

FLOOR

MAR 4, 25

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 579.

FLOOR

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Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

What do you think?

Discussion

MORE INFORMATION

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