Child Protection Bill Heads to President: Last night, the Senate adopted by voice vote the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (HR 4980). Adopted by the House in July, the measure now goes to President Obama who will sign it into law. Both houses have recessed and will return on November 12.

Policy changes affecting child welfare agencies include provisions requiring states to include a "reasonable and prudent parent standard" to enable foster youth to participate more readily in extracurricular, cultural and social activities with their peers. The measure also eliminates Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) as a permanency goal for children under the age of 16. It will also enable youth ages 14 and older to enlist the assistance of two other individuals to be part of their case planning team.

 
 Effective one year after enactment, the bill will require child welfare agencies to provide youth exiting care who were not adopted or returning to live with family to have a birth certificate, a Social Security card, health insurance information, medical records and a driver's license or state-issued ID. 

The adoption assistance program was amended to include, for the first time, incentive awards of $4,000 for subsidized guardianship placements. It also ensures that a  child placed with a guardian could continue to be cared for by a successor guardian if a relative guardian dies or is incapacitated.

The legislation also requires state plans for foster care and adoption assistance to include policies and procedures for identifying, screening, and determining appropriate services for children who are believed to be victims of sex trafficking, or at risk of being such victims. Sex trafficking data would be included in the adoption and foster care analysis and reporting system (AFCARS).

Finally, the bill contains child support provisions making it easier to obtain and enforce orders across international boundaries and requires the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement to engage stakeholders in identifying best practices and other efficiencies in the program.

A summary of the bill may be found at this link.

Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities Meets in Colo: On Monday, the Commission will meet in Denver to continue its work to develop a national strategy and recommendations for reducing fatalities resulting from child abuse and neglect. Established by law by Congress, the Denver hearing will focus on state and local responses. Click here to learn more about the public meeting. For more information about the Commission, click here.