WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to improve recruitment, retention and support for foster parents. The Recruiting Families Using Data Act would address the nationwide shortage of foster parents by directing states to modify data collection efforts that address recruitment challenges and connect children with safe and loving homes. Grassley is the co-chair and co-founder of the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth.

“Kids in foster care deserve qualified, well-trained and loving foster parents who will care for them and help them achieve long term success,” Grassley said. “This bill addresses the pervasive challenges foster families face. By integrating quality data and best practices, we can help ensure foster youth and parents have the support and resources they need.” 

Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Brendan F. Boyle (D-Pa.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. 

“In the United States of America, every child deserves a loving family to call their own and a safe place to call home. Our foster care system plays an integral role in fulfilling this mission and connecting vulnerable children with families who are able and prepared to support their growth, health, and success. However, our foster care system also faces enormous challenges – from foster home shortages to low retention rates of foster families – that prevent vulnerable children from finding a caring home,” Feenstra said. “To ensure that more children are paired with families, we need to implement policies that identify potential foster families, connect children with those families, encourage subsequent adoption, and reverse the alarming trend of foster home closures and declining foster retention rates. I’m glad to work with Senator Grassley to introduce the Recruiting Families Using Data Act to achieve exactly that.” 

“We must step up our efforts to support foster and adoptive families. This bill centers the voices of those who know the system best—youth and families—so we can build stronger connections between vulnerable children and foster parents who can help them reach their full potential,” Boyle said. “With the right resources, we can make meaningful improvements and ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed.” 

Specifically, the Recruiting Families Using Data Act would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to work with states to establish a “family partnership plan.”  

  • The family partnership plan would enable states to: 
    • Collect and report data on foster family capacity, congregate care utilization, and the demographics of foster families. 
    • Collect and report feedback from foster parents and foster family advisory boards regarding licensing, support, training and reasons why they have stopped taking placements. 
    • Establish goals, assess needs and measure progress in recruiting foster parents. 
  • The legislation further requires HHS to produce an annual report to Congress regarding states’ data in order to identify national trends. 

Find bill text HERE and a one-page summary HERE. 

-30-