Sponsors (2)
The bill increases transparency and state accountability to improve safety and information for foster/adoptive placements, at the cost of added reporting requirements, potential loss of incentive funding for noncompliant states, and reputational risks for placement agencies that could disrupt services for children.
Children in foster care and prospective adoptive families gain a national, publicly available list of accredited private placement agencies, increasing transparency about where placements originate and helping parents/families make informed choices.
States and HHS can identify agencies with state disciplinary actions more quickly, improving oversight and the potential for faster interventions to protect child safety.
The bill encourages States to maintain current licensing and accreditation systems because compliance affects eligibility for incentive payments, creating a financial push toward oversight and consistency.
States that fail to submit required lists could lose incentive payments, reducing funds available for adoption and guardianship support and potentially harming outcomes for children awaiting placement.
Private placement agencies will face increased administrative burdens and ongoing public scrutiny from mandatory listing and reporting, raising operating costs and compliance workload for nonprofits.
Publicly naming agencies and listing disciplinary actions could damage agency reputations before full due-process resolution, risking service disruptions that would negatively affect children who rely on those placements.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires annual state lists of State‑licensed, 501(c)(3) private child placement agencies, creates a public national list, and ties reporting to adoption/guardianship incentive eligibility.
Introduced January 23, 2026 by Jefferson Shreve · Last progress January 23, 2026
Requires each State that has an approved IV‑B/IV‑E child welfare plan to annually send the federal government a list of private child placement agencies that are licensed or accredited, in good standing with the State, and exempt from federal income tax as 501(c)(3) organizations. The Department of Health and Human Services (via the Children’s Bureau) must publish a national, publicly available list compiled from state submissions and report annually to Congress identifying agencies not on the list and any disciplinary actions taken by States. States must comply with the reporting requirement to be eligible for adoption and legal guardianship incentive payments.