HR 4198
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4198
To provide for competitive grants for the establishment and expansion
of programs that use networks of public, private, and faith-based organizations
to recruit and train foster and adoptive parents and provide support services
to foster children and their families.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 15, 2007
Mr. LAMPSON (for himself, Mr. COOPER, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. PASTOR,
Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. BARROW, Mr. MARSHALL,
Mr. POMEROY, Mr. SPACE, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, Mr. CLAY, Mr.
MCGOVERN, Mr. KAGEN, Mr. HILL, and Mr. BACA) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To provide for competitive grants for the establishment and expansion
of programs that use networks of public, private, and faith-based organizations
to recruit and train foster and adoptive parents and provide support services
to foster children and their families.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Foster and Adoptive Parent Recruitment Programs
Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Many States are facing serious shortages of qualified foster parents
and qualified adoptive parents.
(2) A 2002 report by the National Conference of State Legislatures found
that, while the number of children in foster care increased by 68 percent
between 1984 and 1995, the number of foster parents decreased by 4 percent
during the same period.
(3) The shortage of adoptive parents is equally dire--while only 50,000
children were adopted out of foster care in 2001, as many as 126,000
children were awaiting adoption. On average, each of these waiting children
had been in foster care for 44 months.
(4) The rapid increase in the annual number of adoptions from foster
care since the enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997
has created a growing need for post-adoption services and for service
providers with the knowledge and skills required to address the unique
issues adoptive families and children may face.
(5) One Church, One Child is a national faith and community-based foster
care and adoption ministry established in Chicago, Illinois, in 1980
by Father George Clements, whose mission is to provide comprehensive
services that promote the well-being of at-risk children and the strengthening
and empowerment of adoptive, foster, and kinship families. Since its
formation, the organization and programs based on its model have successfully
placed more than 140,000 children in adoptive families nationwide.
(6) Despite its success as a model for providing recruitment, training,
and support services for certified foster and adoptive parents, One
Church, One Child programs and programs based on this concept have received
limited Federal funding.
(7) The creation of a federally-funded grant program to support the
establishment and expansion of programs for the recruitment of foster
parents and adoptive parents which are modeled on the One Church, One
Child concept will benefit the Nation's abused and neglected children
by increasing the pool of qualified adoptive parents and qualified foster
parents.
SEC. 3. ONE CHURCH, ONE CHILD GRANTS.
Part E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670-679b) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
`SEC. 479B. ONE CHURCH, ONE CHILD GRANTS.
`(a) Competitive Grants to Eligible Entities To Conduct One Church, One
Child Foster Parent and Adoption Parent Recruitment Programs-
`(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall make grants, on a competitive
basis, to eligible entities to support the establishment or expansion
of programs that use networks of public, private and faith-based organizations
to recruit and train qualified foster parents and qualified adoptive
parents and provide support services to adoptive and foster children
and their families.
`(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITY- In this section, the term `eligible entity'
means a State or local government, local public agency, community-based
or nonprofit organization, or private entity, including any charitable
or faith-based organization, that submits to the Secretary, at such
time, in such form, and in such manner as the Secretary may require,
an application that contains such information as the Secretary may
require and the following:
`(i) PROJECT DESCRIPTION- A description of the programs or activities
the entity intends to carry out with funds provided under this section,
including an estimate of the number of children to be served under
such programs or activities and a description of the services to
be provided to prospective adoptive and foster parents, including
post-placement supportive services.
`(ii) COORDINATION OF EFFORTS- A description of how the entity will
coordinate and cooperate with State and local entities responsible
for carrying out programs related to the recruitment of foster parents
and adoptive parents, and with the national clearinghouse established
under section 479C.
`(iii) RECORDS, REPORTS, AND AUDITS- An agreement to maintain such
records, submit such reports, and cooperate with such reviews and
audits as the Secretary finds necessary for purposes of oversight.
`(2) DEFINITION OF STATE- In this section, the term `State' means each
of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
`(3) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- To carry out this
section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not
more than $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013.
`(4) 3-year AVAILABILITY OF GRANT FUNDS- An eligible entity to which
a grant is made under this section for a fiscal year shall remit to
the Secretary any part of the grant that is not expended by the end
of the second succeeding fiscal year, together with any earnings on
such unexpended amount.
`(5) REDISTRIBUTION OF UNUSED GRANT FUNDS- The Secretary shall redistribute
any funds remitted under paragraph (4) among eligible entities that
the Secretary determines have a need for additional funds to carry out
the programs and activities referred to in paragraph (1)(B)(i).
`(b) Provisions Relating to Religious Organizations-
`(1) NONDISCRIMINATION- For the purpose of awarding grants under this
section, the Secretary shall consider religious organizations on the
same basis as other nongovernmental organizations, so long as the grant
is to be implemented in a manner consistent with the Establishment Clause
of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. A State
or local government receiving funds under this section shall not discriminate
against an organization that seeks to participate in a program funded
under this section on the basis that the organization has a religious
character.
`(2) NONINTERFERENCE- Neither the Federal Government nor a State or
local government shall require a religious organization--
`(A) to alter its form of internal governance; or
`(B) to remove from its premises religious art, icons, scripture,
or other symbols,
in order to be eligible to receive a grant under this section or to
participate in a program funded under this section.
`(3) LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FUNDS- Funds provided directly to a religious
organization to carry out a program funded under this section shall
not be expended for sectarian worship, instruction, or proselytization.
`(4) FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY-
`(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (B), a religious
organization receiving funds under this section shall be subject to
the same regulations as other nongovernmental organizations to account
in accord with generally accepted accounting principles for the use
of such funds.
`(B) SEPARATION OF FUNDS- Such an organization shall keep all funds
provided under this section in an account separate from all other
funds of the organization.'.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR ADOPTION PROMOTION AND FOSTER PARENT
PROGRAMS; ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Part E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670-679b) is
further amended by adding at the end the following:
`SEC. 479C. NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR ADOPTION PROMOTION AND FOSTER
PARENT RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS; ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.
`(a) National Clearinghouse for Adoption Promotion and Foster Parent Recruitment
Programs-
`(1) NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE-
`(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall enter into a contract with a
nationally recognized, nonprofit adoption promotion and foster parent
recruitment organization described in subparagraph (B) to--
`(i) assist State and local governments, local public agencies,
community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and private
entities, including charitable and faith-based organizations in
coordinating their activities relating to recruitment of foster
parents and adoptive parents and the provision of post-placement
support to foster families and adoptive families;
`(ii) design and provide technical assistance and training for grantees
and identify and disseminate to grantees `best practices' for recruiting
and training prospective foster and adoptive parents and providing
post-placement support to foster families and adoptive families;
`(iii) collect information on the effectiveness of the programs
funded under section 479B, including the number of children placed
under the programs, the number of foster parents and adoptive parents
recruited under such programs, and such other data as the Secretary
requires for evaluating the effectiveness of such programs; and
`(iv) assist the Secretary in the preparation of the reports required
by subsection (b).
`(B) NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, NONPROFIT ADOPTION PROMOTION AND FOSTER
PARENT RECRUITMENT ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED- The nationally recognized,
nonprofit adoption promotion and foster parent recruitment organization
described in this subparagraph is an organization, selected by the
Secretary on a competitive basis, that--
`(i) has demonstrated experience in providing consultation and training
to faith-based and community organizations interested in adoption
promotion and foster parent recruitment;
`(ii) has an established national reputation in working with faith-based
and community organizations to recruit and train prospective foster
and adoptive parents; and
`(iii) has extensive experience in establishing and working with
programs based on the One Church, One Child model.
`(2) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- To carry out this
subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated not more than $1,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013.
`(b) Annual Reports- Not later than 1 year after the date a grant is first
made under section 479B and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare
and submit to the Congress a report that includes the following with respect
to the year involved:
`(1) A specification of the number of entities to which grants have
been made under section 479B.
`(2) A specification of the number of foster parents and adoptive families
recruited by the programs which have been supported with the grants.
`(3) A specification of the number of children placed with such foster
parents and adoptive families, and the outcomes of such placements.
`(4) Any other information that the Secretary determines is relevant
to the evaluation of the program under section 479B.'.
END
