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1 [1] (September 2, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/govethm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con r s&onal Research Servte ~ Informing the legislative debate since 1914 S Updated February 9, 2026 Child Welfare: Purposes, Federal Programs, and Funding The Work ofChld Wefare Agenies Children depend on adults-usually their parents-to protect and support them. The broadest mission of public child welfare agencies is to strengthen families so that children can depend on their parents to provide them with a safe and loving home. Child welfare agencies also aim to prevent abuse or neglect of children in their own homes. If this has already occurred, they must identify and offer services or referrals that aim to ensure children do not reexperience maltreatment. For some children, this means foster care. Federal child welfare policy has three primary goals: ensuring children's safety, enabling permanency for children, and promoting the well-being of children and their families. Foster care is understood as a temporary living situation. When a child enters care, the first task of the child welfare agency is to provide services to enable the child to safely reunite with family. If that is not possible, then the agency must work to find a new permanent adoptive or legal guardianship family for the child. Youth in care who are neither reunited nor placed with a new permanent family are typically emancipated at their state's legal age of majority. These youth are said to have aged out of care. ChI dren Served During FY2024, public child protective services (CPS) agencies screened abuse or neglect allegations involving 7.7 million children and carried out investigations or other responses involving 3.0 million of those children. Among children receiving CPS services after such responses, an estimated 84% received them while living at home. Based on CRS analysis of data from all states, more than 172,000 children entered care during FY2024. Neglect and/or parental drug abuse are the concerns most often linked with entry. Some 345,000 children were in care on the last day of FY2024 and about 78% lived in foster family homes, including with kin or nonrelatives providing regular, shelter, pre-adoptive, or therapeutic care. Some (11%) were in group, institutional, or residential care and most others had been placed at home, in preparation for a permanent return (4%) or in independent living (4%). Some 177,000 children left care during FY2024, including 51% who returned to their parent(s) or went to live with a relative (informally) and 37% who left care via adoption or legal guardianship. Most of the remainder aged out (9%). Who Bears Public Responsb lty for This Work? Under the U.S. Constitution, states are considered to bear the primary public responsibility to ensure the well-being of children and their families. Public child welfare agencies work with an array of private and public entities-including the courts and health, mental health, education, social service, and law enforcement agencies-to carry out child welfare activities. This work is done consistent with state laws and policies. At the same time, the federal government has long provided technical support and funding that is intended to improve state child welfare work. To receive funds, states must meet federal program rules (e.g., provide certain protections for children in foster care), and must, usually, contribute nonfederal program funds. Compliance is monitored via federal plan approvals, audits, and reviews. The Children's Bureau in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) administers most federal child welfare programs. At the state level, administration is often within a human services department. Ch d We fare Spending and Programs State child welfare agencies spent more than $34.3 billion on child welfare activities during state FY2022, according to a Child Trends survey. State and local funds supported more than half of this spending nationally, but the share ranged widely (from 20% to 83%) by state. Looking at federal funds only, most of the support was provided under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act (56%) and typically funded foster care and adoption assistance. Child welfare work also received significant federal support from funding streams not wholly dedicated to child welfare, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Social Services Block Grant, and Medicaid (34% combined). Full-year FY2026 funding for child welfare programs is principally included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-75), enacted February 3, 2026. Figure I. Federal Child Welfare Funding by Purpose FY2026 total: $11.7 billion. Dollars shown in millions. ineentives* 304 Assise; ar tc e ,- Favnrc Chte Seves Source: CRS, based on P.L. 119-75, P.L. 119-74, or, for items labeled as IV-E funding, estimated obligations given in the FY2026 President's budget; IV-B funds shown post-sequestration. * Includes IV-B and CAPTA formula grants. ** Includes competitive IV-E, IV-B, CAPTA, Chafee and Victims of Child Abuse Act funds. *I* Includes Chafee general and ETV formula grants (minus funds reserved for research). Title V-E Foster Care, Prevention, Permanency Title IV-E supports foster care and permanency assistance for children who meet federal eligibility rules. The IV-E program may also fund services to prevent foster care placement and kinship navigators. FY2026 federal support