Major Federal Legislation Concerned with Child Protection, Child Welfare, and Adoption

摘要

Beginning with the passage of the Child Abuse and Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) in 1974, the U.S. Congress implemented a number of laws that have had a significant impact on child protection and child welfare services. State-level responses to these laws included enacting State legislation, developing or revising State agency policy and regulations, and implementing new programs. The primary responsibility for child welfare services rest with the States. Each State has its own legal and administrative structures and programs that address the needs of children. In addition, States frequently must comply with specific Federal requirements and guidelines in order to be eligible for Federal funding under certain programs. To provide a framework for understanding the Federal legislation that has shaped the delivery of child welfare services, the chart inside presents a summary of the major Federal legislation since 1974 that have had significant impact on the field. The chart provides an overview of each legislative act, including reasons a particular bill was initiated, the objectives and goals of the legislation, and the major provisions of each act. Acts and their related amendments are grouped together and, therefore, do not follow the chronological layout of the timeline on this page. In addition, a notation has been made when a particular piece of legislation has amended the Social Security Act. The chart also provides Web addresses to a summary or the full text of each Act, as well as links to other online resources.