The bipartisan Supporting America's Children and Families Act (H.R. 9076) was signed by the President into law on January 4, 2025. This bill is a comprehensive reauthorization of the Title IV-B Program, which funds some child welfare and prevention services. 

FosterClub worked with a number of child welfare partners to provide the perspectives, priorities and recommendations from our network of Lived Experience Leaders. We know there is an increased need for prevention, permanency support, court improvement programs and other programs funded by Title IV-B. We are grateful for the bipartisan Congressional champions whose leadership made this progress possible, including House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare Chair Darin LaHood (R-IL), Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny Davis (D-IL), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and John Cornyn (R-TX). 

We are pleased to see specific provisions in the bill that directly reflect recommendations young people have made, including: 

• Peer Support for youth - programs where young people can connect and support each other. 
• Engaging young people with lived experience on foster care in planning how services are provided in the state.  
• Support for kinship caregivers - helping family members who care for children
• Increased support for compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act - protecting Native children and families 
• Improve efforts to separate poverty from neglect - making sure children and families aren’t entering foster care just due to financial challenges
• Report on re-entry into foster care after adoption - tracking how often children and youth return to foster care after being adopted 

What’s Next? 

• FosterClub will continue to work with Members of Congress and National Partners  to elevate Lived Experience recommendations and priorities 
• Advocates — including Lived Experience (LEx) Leaders — are encouraged to ask questions in your own state about how the new Title IV-B funding will be used.
• FosterClub will be supporting the effort to implement the provisions mentioned above. We’re particularly excited to see expanded use of Peer Support to improve mental health and wellbeing for young people!

Background: 

Title IV-B provides approx. 4% of federal child welfare funding, with a strong focus on prevention. The program has been due for reauthorization since 2023. This reauthorization includes a modest increase in mandatory funding for programming, consistent with field recommendations FosterClub previously signed onto.