Stay Current: State Statutes on Child Welfare

From Child Welfare Information Gateway:

Stay Current on Your State’s Child Welfare Statutes

Every state has their own laws and statutes to protect children and youth. Learn what you need to know about your state and find out what other states are doing. Read and share the State Statutes series!

The following state statute summaries were recently updated:

• Major Federal Legislation Concerned With Child Protection, Child Welfare, and Adoption
  Federal legislation has a large and direct impact on state laws. Get an overview of federal child welfare legislation since 1974.
  
  
• Postadoption Contact Agreements Between Birth and Adoptive Families 
  Contact between a child’s adoptive and birth families can be formal, casual, or somewhere in between. Find out how your state approaches postadoption contact agreements. 
  
  
• Responding to Child Victims of Human Trafficking
  Children and youth involved in child welfare have a higher risk of exploitation. Read what child welfare agencies need to do to protect these children, such as training requirements, specific services and supports, and more. 
  
  
• Background Checks for Prospective Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship CaregiversWhat does your state require in background checks for potential caregivers? Read which registries must be checked and understand the disqualifying circumstances.

Have other questions? Use our State Statutes Search to find information on a specific topic or state. 

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