Child Welfare System EO (E.O. 13930)

Summary

Aims to improve the child welfare system by helping children in foster care find permanent families more quickly and effectively.

What problem does this solve?

Too many children wait for years in foster care or leave the system without a family, leading to problems like homelessness and unemployment. This order improves the system by creating better partnerships, providing more support for caregivers, and making processes more efficient.

What does this order do?

Increases partnerships with community and faith-based groups

Requires the government to help state agencies work with private and faith-based groups to find and support more foster and adoptive families.

Improves data collection on children and families

Directs the collection of better data on children in foster care, including sibling placements and the number of available foster homes, to identify needs and improve services.

Provides more resources for caregivers

Makes training on trauma and mental health free for child welfare workers and improves access to support for guardians and relatives caring for children.

Ensures equal treatment for all families

Requires a study and updated guidance to make sure agencies do not deny anyone the chance to be a foster or adoptive parent because of their race, color, or national origin.

Strengthens reviews of state child welfare agencies

Requires federal reviews to check if states are making reasonable efforts to prevent removing children from their homes and to find permanent families quickly.

Supports legal help for parents and children

Directs the government to guide states on using federal money to pay for lawyers for parents and children to help keep families together or find permanent homes.

Who does this affect?

Children in the foster care system
Foster and adoptive families
State and local child welfare agencies

What is the real world impact?

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Improves support for children and families

Provides more resources and better processes to help children find stable, permanent homes, preventing them from aging out of the system without family support.

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Encourages partnerships with community groups

Promotes collaboration between state agencies and private groups, including faith-based organizations, to increase the number of foster and adoptive homes and provide better support.

When does this start?

This order became effective on June 24, 2020, and sets several deadlines for federal agencies over the next few years.

Guidance on legal representation

Within 6 months (by December 24, 2020), guidance must be provided to states on using federal funds for legal representation for parents and children.

Annual report on foster care data

Within 1 year (by June 24, 2021), and every year after, a report on foster care and adoption data must be submitted to the President.

Guidance on partnerships

Within 1 year (by June 24, 2021), guidance must be issued to agencies on partnering with non-governmental and faith-based organizations.

Data collection on siblings

Within 2 years (by June 24, 2022), information must be collected from states on the number of siblings in foster care who are not placed together.

Improved federal reviews

Within 2 years (by June 24, 2022), federal reviews of state agencies must assess efforts to prevent child removal and finalize permanent homes.

Data analysis on sibling placement

Within 3 years (by June 24, 2023), data analysis methods must be developed to report on whether siblings entering foster care are placed together.