S. 162 · Where this bill is now
In the House
Passed the Senate Jun 11, 2026. Received Jun 15, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryImproves foster care placement with family data
This bill asks states to create plans that help keep foster kids in stable homes, place more children with relatives, and match foster and adoptive families to the children who need them. It also requires the federal Children's Bureau to collect and report data from states about who is fostering and adopting, and what makes it hard for people to become foster or adoptive parents.
How it affects you
If you're involved in foster care or adoption—whether you're thinking about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, or you work in child welfare—this could affect you. States will need to focus more on matching kids with family resources and making their recruitment efforts work better. The new data reporting might help identify barriers that keep people from fostering or adopting, which could make the process easier over time.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jan 21, 2025)
Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025
This bill requires state plans for child welfare services to provide for the development and implementation of a family partnership plan to improve foster care placement stability, increase rates of kinship placements, and align the composition of foster and adoptive families with the needs of children in or entering foster care.
The Children's Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families also must include in its annual report information from states about the number, demographics, and characteristics of foster and adoptive families as well as a summary of the challenges related to recruiting and being foster or adoptive parents.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 162
AN ACT
Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) · Introduced Jan 21, 2025 · Families · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jun 15, 2026: “Held at the desk.”
Numbers that changed
Dollar amounts, dates and percentages, taken word for word from the text- Sec. 2 · Date · Introduced → Passed the SenateState plan amendmentOctober 1, 2026→October 1, 2027…made by this subsection shall take effect on October 1, 2027. (2) Delay permitted if state legislation required…
- Sec. 3 · Fiscal year · Introduced → Passed the SenateInclusion of information on foster and adoptive families in annual child welfare outcomes report to Congressfiscal year 2025→fiscal year 2028…the report submitted pursuant to paragraph (5) for fiscal year 2028 or any succeeding fiscal year— (A) State-by-State data…
| Section | Where | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sec. 2Date | State plan amendment…made by this subsection shall take effect on October 1, 2027. (2) Delay permitted if state legislation required…Introduced → Passed the Senate | October 1, 2026 | October 1, 2027 |
| Sec. 3Fiscal year | Inclusion of information on foster and adoptive families in annual child welfare outcomes report to Congress…the report submitted pursuant to paragraph (5) for fiscal year 2028 or any succeeding fiscal year— (A) State-by-State data…Introduced → Passed the Senate | fiscal year 2025 | fiscal year 2028 |
Listed only when one value replaced another and the surrounding words stayed the same. Open a section to read the full wording.