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U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 679. Collection of data relating to adoption and foster care
(a) Advisory Committee on Adoption and Foster Care Information
(1) Not later than 90 days after October 21, 1986, the Secretary
shall establish an Advisory Committee on Adoption and Foster Care
Information (in this section referred to as the "Advisory
Committee") to study the various methods of establishing,
administering, and financing a system for the collection of data
with respect to adoption and foster care in the United States.
(2) The study required by paragraph (1) shall -
(A) identify the types of data necessary to -
(i) assess (on a continuing basis) the incidence,
characteristics, and status of adoption and foster care in the
United States, and
(ii) develop appropriate national policies with respect to
adoption and foster care;
(B) evaluate the feasibility and appropriateness of collecting
data with respect to privately arranged adoptions and adoptions
arranged through private agencies without assistance from public
child welfare agencies;
(C) assess the validity of various methods of collecting data
with respect to adoption and foster care; and
(D) evaluate the financial and administrative impact of
implementing each such method.
(3) Not later than October 1, 1987, the Advisory Committee shall
submit to the Secretary and the Congress a report setting forth the
results of the study required by paragraph (1) and evaluating and
making recommendations with respect to the various methods of
establishing, administering, and financing a system for the
collection of data with respect to adoption and foster care in the
United States.
(4)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the membership and
organization of the Advisory Committee shall be determined by the
Secretary.
(B) The membership of the Advisory Committee shall include
representatives of -
(i) private, nonprofit organizations with an interest in child
welfare (including organizations that provide foster care and
adoption services),
(ii) organizations representing State and local governmental
agencies with responsibility for foster care and adoption
services,
(iii) organizations representing State and local governmental
agencies with responsibility for the collection of health and
social statistics,
(iv) organizations representing State and local judicial bodies
with jurisdiction over family law,
(v) Federal agencies responsible for the collection of health
and social statistics, and
(vi) organizations and agencies involved with privately
arranged or international adoptions.
(5) After the date of the submission of the report required by
paragraph (3), the Advisory Committee shall cease to exist.
(b) Report to Congress; regulations
(1)(A) Not later than July 1, 1988, the Secretary shall submit to
the Congress a report that -
(i) proposes a method of establishing, administering, and
financing a system for the collection of data relating to
adoption and foster care in the United States,
(ii) evaluates the feasibility and appropriateness of
collecting data with respect to privately arranged adoptions and
adoptions arranged through private agencies without assistance
from public child welfare agencies, and
(iii) evaluates the impact of the system proposed under clause
(i) on the agencies with responsibility for implementing it.
(B) The report required by subparagraph (A) shall -
(i) specify any changes in law that will be necessary to
implement the system proposed under subparagraph (A)(i), and
(ii) describe the type of system that will be implemented under
paragraph (2) in the absence of such changes.
(2) Not later than December 31, 1988, the Secretary shall
promulgate final regulations providing for the implementation of -
(A) the system proposed under paragraph (1)(A)(i), or
(B) if the changes in law specified pursuant to paragraph
(1)(B)(i) have not been enacted, the system described in
paragraph (1)(B)(ii).
Such regulations shall provide for the full implementation of the
system not later than October 1, 1991.
(c) Data collection system
Any data collection system developed and implemented under this
section shall -
(1) avoid unnecessary diversion of resources from agencies
responsible for adoption and foster care;
(2) assure that any data that is collected is reliable and
consistent over time and among jurisdictions through the use of
uniform definitions and methodologies;
(3) provide comprehensive national information with respect to
-
(A) the demographic characteristics of adoptive and foster
children and their biological and adoptive or foster parents,
(B) the status of the foster care population (including the
number of children in foster care, length of placement, type of
placement, availability for adoption, and goals for ending or
continuing foster care),
(C) the number and characteristics of -
(i) children placed in or removed from foster care,
(ii) children adopted or with respect to whom adoptions
have been terminated, and
(iii) children placed in foster care outside the State
which has placement and care responsibility, and
(D) the extent and nature of assistance provided by Federal,
State, and local adoption and foster care programs and the
characteristics of the children with respect to whom such
assistance is provided; and
(4) utilize appropriate requirements and incentives to ensure
that the system functions reliably throughout the United States.
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