[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4198 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4198

 To provide for competitive grants for the establishment and expansion 
   of programs that use networks of public, private, and faith-based 
  organizations to recruit and train foster and adoptive parents and 
    provide support services to foster children and their families.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 15, 2007

   Mr. Lampson (for himself, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. 
   Pastor, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. 
Barrow, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. Space, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Braley 
  of Iowa, Mr. Clay, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Kagen, Mr. Hill, and Mr. Baca) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for competitive grants for the establishment and expansion 
   of programs that use networks of public, private, and faith-based 
  organizations to recruit and train foster and adoptive parents and 
    provide support services to foster children and their families.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Foster and Adoptive Parent 
Recruitment Programs Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Many States are facing serious shortages of qualified 
        foster parents and qualified adoptive parents.
            (2) A 2002 report by the National Conference of State 
        Legislatures found that, while the number of children in foster 
        care increased by 68 percent between 1984 and 1995, the number 
        of foster parents decreased by 4 percent during the same 
        period.
            (3) The shortage of adoptive parents is equally dire--while 
        only 50,000 children were adopted out of foster care in 2001, 
        as many as 126,000 children were awaiting adoption. On average, 
        each of these waiting children had been in foster care for 44 
        months.
            (4) The rapid increase in the annual number of adoptions 
        from foster care since the enactment of the Adoption and Safe 
        Families Act of 1997 has created a growing need for post-
        adoption services and for service providers with the knowledge 
        and skills required to address the unique issues adoptive 
        families and children may face.
            (5) One Church, One Child is a national faith and 
        community-based foster care and adoption ministry established 
        in Chicago, Illinois, in 1980 by Father George Clements, whose 
        mission is to provide comprehensive services that promote the 
        well-being of at-risk children and the strengthening and 
        empowerment of adoptive, foster, and kinship families. Since 
        its formation, the organization and programs based on its model 
        have successfully placed more than 140,000 children in adoptive 
        families nationwide.
            (6) Despite its success as a model for providing 
        recruitment, training, and support services for certified 
        foster and adoptive parents, One Church, One Child programs and 
        programs based on this concept have received limited Federal 
        funding.
            (7) The creation of a federally-funded grant program to 
        support the establishment and expansion of programs for the 
        recruitment of foster parents and adoptive parents which are 
        modeled on the One Church, One Child concept will benefit the 
        Nation's abused and neglected children by increasing the pool 
        of qualified adoptive parents and qualified foster parents.

SEC. 3. ONE CHURCH, ONE CHILD GRANTS.

    Part E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670-679b) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 479B. ONE CHURCH, ONE CHILD GRANTS.

    ``(a) Competitive Grants to Eligible Entities To Conduct One 
Church, One Child Foster Parent and Adoption Parent Recruitment 
Programs.--
            ``(1) Grant authority.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall make grants, 
                on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to support 
                the establishment or expansion of programs that use 
                networks of public, private and faith-based 
                organizations to recruit and train qualified foster 
                parents and qualified adoptive parents and provide 
                support services to adoptive and foster children and 
                their families.
                    ``(B) Eligible entity.--In this section, the term 
                `eligible entity' means a State or local government, 
                local public agency, community-based or nonprofit 
                organization, or private entity, including any 
                charitable or faith-based organization, that submits to 
                the Secretary, at such time, in such form, and in such 
                manner as the Secretary may require, an application 
                that contains such information as the Secretary may 
                require and the following:
                            ``(i) Project description.--A description 
                        of the programs or activities the entity 
                        intends to carry out with funds provided under 
                        this section, including an estimate of the 
                        number of children to be served under such 
                        programs or activities and a description of the 
                        services to be provided to prospective adoptive 
                        and foster parents, including post-placement 
                        supportive services.
                            ``(ii) Coordination of efforts.--A 
                        description of how the entity will coordinate 
                        and cooperate with State and local entities 
                        responsible for carrying out programs related 
                        to the recruitment of foster parents and 
                        adoptive parents, and with the national 
                        clearinghouse established under section 479C.
                            ``(iii) Records, reports, and audits.--An 
                        agreement to maintain such records, submit such 
                        reports, and cooperate with such reviews and 
                        audits as the Secretary finds necessary for 
                        purposes of oversight.
            ``(2) Definition of state.--In this section, the term 
        `State' means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, 
        the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin 
        Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 
        Northern Mariana Islands.
            ``(3) Limitations on authorization of appropriations.--To 
        carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated 
        to the Secretary not more than $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2008 through 2013.
            ``(4) 3-year availability of grant funds.--An eligible 
        entity to which a grant is made under this section for a fiscal 
        year shall remit to the Secretary any part of the grant that is 
        not expended by the end of the second succeeding fiscal year, 
        together with any earnings on such unexpended amount.
            ``(5) Redistribution of unused grant funds.--The Secretary 
        shall redistribute any funds remitted under paragraph (4) among 
        eligible entities that the Secretary determines have a need for 
        additional funds to carry out the programs and activities 
        referred to in paragraph (1)(B)(i).
    ``(b) Provisions Relating to Religious Organizations.--
            ``(1) Nondiscrimination.--For the purpose of awarding 
        grants under this section, the Secretary shall consider 
        religious organizations on the same basis as other 
        nongovernmental organizations, so long as the grant is to be 
        implemented in a manner consistent with the Establishment 
        Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United 
        States. A State or local government receiving funds under this 
        section shall not discriminate against an organization that 
        seeks to participate in a program funded under this section on 
        the basis that the organization has a religious character.
            ``(2) Noninterference.--Neither the Federal Government nor 
        a State or local government shall require a religious 
        organization--
                    ``(A) to alter its form of internal governance; or
                    ``(B) to remove from its premises religious art, 
                icons, scripture, or other symbols,
        in order to be eligible to receive a grant under this section 
        or to participate in a program funded under this section.
            ``(3) Limitations on use of funds.--Funds provided directly 
        to a religious organization to carry out a program funded under 
        this section shall not be expended for sectarian worship, 
        instruction, or proselytization.
            ``(4) Fiscal accountability.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph 
                (B), a religious organization receiving funds under 
                this section shall be subject to the same regulations 
                as other nongovernmental organizations to account in 
                accord with generally accepted accounting principles 
                for the use of such funds.
                    ``(B) Separation of funds.--Such an organization 
                shall keep all funds provided under this section in an 
                account separate from all other funds of the 
                organization.''.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR ADOPTION PROMOTION AND FOSTER PARENT 
              PROGRAMS; ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Part E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670-679b) 
is further amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 479C. NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR ADOPTION PROMOTION AND FOSTER 
              PARENT RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS; ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    ``(a) National Clearinghouse for Adoption Promotion and Foster 
Parent Recruitment Programs.--
            ``(1) National clearinghouse.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall enter into a 
                contract with a nationally recognized, nonprofit 
                adoption promotion and foster parent recruitment 
                organization described in subparagraph (B) to--
                            ``(i) assist State and local governments, 
                        local public agencies, community-based 
                        organizations, nonprofit organizations, and 
                        private entities, including charitable and 
                        faith-based organizations in coordinating their 
                        activities relating to recruitment of foster 
                        parents and adoptive parents and the provision 
                        of post-placement support to foster families 
                        and adoptive families;
                            ``(ii) design and provide technical 
                        assistance and training for grantees and 
                        identify and disseminate to grantees `best 
                        practices' for recruiting and training 
                        prospective foster and adoptive parents and 
                        providing post-placement support to foster 
                        families and adoptive families;
                            ``(iii) collect information on the 
                        effectiveness of the programs funded under 
                        section 479B, including the number of children 
                        placed under the programs, the number of foster 
                        parents and adoptive parents recruited under 
                        such programs, and such other data as the 
                        Secretary requires for evaluating the 
                        effectiveness of such programs; and
                            ``(iv) assist the Secretary in the 
                        preparation of the reports required by 
                        subsection (b).
                    ``(B) Nationally recognized, nonprofit adoption 
                promotion and foster parent recruitment organization 
                described.--The nationally recognized, nonprofit 
                adoption promotion and foster parent recruitment 
                organization described in this subparagraph is an 
                organization, selected by the Secretary on a 
                competitive basis, that--
                            ``(i) has demonstrated experience in 
                        providing consultation and training to faith-
                        based and community organizations interested in 
                        adoption promotion and foster parent 
                        recruitment;
                            ``(ii) has an established national 
                        reputation in working with faith-based and 
                        community organizations to recruit and train 
                        prospective foster and adoptive parents; and
                            ``(iii) has extensive experience in 
                        establishing and working with programs based on 
                        the One Church, One Child model.
            ``(2) Limitations on authorization of appropriations.--To 
        carry out this subsection, there are authorized to be 
        appropriated not more than $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
        2008 through 2013.
    ``(b) Annual Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date a grant 
is first made under section 479B and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
shall prepare and submit to the Congress a report that includes the 
following with respect to the year involved:
            ``(1) A specification of the number of entities to which 
        grants have been made under section 479B.
            ``(2) A specification of the number of foster parents and 
        adoptive families recruited by the programs which have been 
        supported with the grants.
            ``(3) A specification of the number of children placed with 
        such foster parents and adoptive families, and the outcomes of 
        such placements.
            ``(4) Any other information that the Secretary determines 
        is relevant to the evaluation of the program under section 
        479B.''.
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