Adoption & Foster Care

On May 12, 2006, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule titled "Eligibility of Arriving Aliens in Removal Proceedings To Apply for Adjustment of Status and Jurisdiction To Adjudic...

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopts with this rule OMB's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, to include 12 existing HHS- specific modifications. This rule also repeals...

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the Department) is committed to protecting the civil rights of individuals with disabilities under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (section 504). To implement the prohibition of discri...

This rule finalizes requirements under titles IV-E and IV-B for children in foster care who are LGBTQI+ (an umbrella term used in this regulation). The proposed rule was published on September 28, 2023. Federal law requires that state and tribal titl...

This final rule adjusts certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees charged by USCIS. This rule also provides additional fee exemptions for certain humanitarian categories and makes changes to certain other immigration benefit request...

This rule finalizes revisions to the definition of "foster family home" proposed on February 14, 2023 (here after referred to as the February 2023 NPRM). Title IV-E agencies may choose to claim title IV-E federal financial participation (FFP) for the...

Federal law requires that state and tribal title IV-E/IV-B agencies ("agencies") ensure that each child in foster care receives "safe and proper" care and has a case plan that addresses the specific needs of the child while in foster care to support...

ACF proposes to allow a title IV-E agency to claim Federal financial participation (FFP) for the administrative cost of an attorney providing: legal representation in foster care proceedings of a title IV-E agency or any other public agency or tribe...

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the Department) is committed to protecting the civil rights of individuals with disabilities under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (section 504). To implement the prohibition of discri...

ACF is proposing to revise the definition of "foster family home" to allow each title IV-E agency to adopt foster family home licensing or approval standards for foster family homes of individuals related to a child by blood, marriage, or adoption an...

The Department of Health and Human Services published an interim final rule in the Federal Register on January 6, 2012, that revised regulations for the title IV-E program. The interim final rule inadvertently included incorrect numbering of one para...

This rule finalizes revisions to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) regulations proposed on April 19, 2019. AFCARS regulations require title IV-E agencies to collect and report data to ACF on children in out-of-home c...

This final rule removes the Army's regulation governing support and nonsupport of family members; child custody involving a soldier; paternity complaints against soldiers; and adoption proceedings involving children of soldiers. This part does not im...

This final rule amends Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations governing the employment-based, fifth preference (EB-5) immigrant investor classification and associated regional centers to reflect statutory changes and modernize the EB-5 pro...

ACF proposes to amend the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) regulations. This notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) amends the AFCARS regulations that require title IV-E agencies to collect and report data to ACF on child...

The Children's Bureau will delay the compliance and effective dates in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) 2016 final rule for title IV-E agencies to comply with agency rules for an additional one fiscal year. We are d...

The Children's Bureau proposes to delay the compliance and effective dates in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) 2016 final rule for title IV-E agencies to comply with agency rules for an additional two fiscal years....

The Social Security Act (the Act) requires that ACF regulate a national data collection system that provides comprehensive demographic and case-specific information on children who are in foster care and adopted. This final rule replaces existing Ado...

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations related to certain employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visa programs. Specifically, the final rule provides various benefits to participants in those programs, including th...

The Department of State (the Department) proposes to amend requirements for accreditation of agencies and approval of persons to provide adoption services in intercountry adoption cases. The proposed rule includes a new subpart establishing parameter...