Bill > S600

This bill, called the "Supporting Adopted Children and Families Act", aims to enhance support services for adopted children and their families by making several key modifications to existing social service laws. The bill expands the definition of "adoption promotion and support services" to include comprehensive pre- and post-adoption support, which covers a wide range of services such as training, counseling, educational resources, peer mentoring, and informational support for both adoptive parents and children. It establishes a federal grant program to provide $20 million annually from 2026 to 2029 for developing statewide mental health service programs specifically for adopted children and their families, with a focus on addressing unique challenges like attachment issues, cultural differences, trauma, and developmental needs. The bill also mandates new data collection requirements for tracking adoption disruptions and dissolutions, requiring states to report detailed information about children who enter state custody due to adoption placement failures, with the goal of understanding and preventing such disruptions. States will be required to spend a significant portion of their savings from certain social service programs on pre- and post-adoption support services, and the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to collaborate with various stakeholders, including adoption agencies, mental health professionals, and individuals with personal experience in adoption, to develop more effective support strategies. The provisions will generally take effect on October 1, 2025, with some flexibility allowed for state and tribal implementation.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/600/all-info