Who Controls Foster Care Programs and Purse Strings?

Research, Reports & Data
November 01, 2007
Journalism Center Staff

A report released in October 2007 cited state-by-state calculations for the real cost of supporting the roughly half-million U.S. children in foster care at any given time. “Hitting the MARC: Establishing Foster Care Minimum Adequate Rates for Children” revealed disparities in state spending and proposed a new standard rate.

While states cover roughly half of foster-care costs, the balance comes from the U.S. government. It approved roughly $7.7 billion for child welfare in 2007, of which $6.6 billion is targeted to foster care and special-needs adoption assistance. Most dedicated federal expenditures, which are administered through states, go toward administrative costs and maintenance payments to caregivers. But fewer than half of youngsters in foster care receive federal support, notes John Sciamanna, the Child Welfare League of America’s co-director of government affairs.

Federal foster-care dollars come from many funding streams under many jurisdictions. The accompanying chart identifies which entities in Congress and the executive branch control spending – and through which programs. The chart, updated from an original published by the Institute for Educational Leadership in 2000, also provides a template for looking at spending on other vulnerable populations.

See a foster care backgrounder.

Program

House of Representatives

Authorizing Committee
& Subcommittee

Senate

Authorizing Committee
& Subcommittee

Executive

Department
& Agency

Foster Care &
Independent Living
(Title IV-E)

Ways and Means
Income Security & Family Support

(About the committee)

Full committee

Health & Human Services

Administration for Children

& Families

(Also see)

Promoting Safe
and Stable Families

Ways and Means

ISFS

(About the committee)

Full committee

ACF
(Also see)

Adoption Assistance
(Title IV-E)

ISFS
(About the committee)

Full committee

ACF
(Also see)

Child Care and
Development Block
Grant

Education & Labor

Early Childhood, Elementary & Secondary Elementary

Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

Children and Families

ACF
(Also see)

Medicaid

Energy and Commerce

Health

Full committee

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

State Children's
Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP)

Energy and Commerce

Health

Full committee

CMMS

Food Stamps

Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition & Forestry

Agriculture, Nutrition

Nutrition & Food Assistance

Food, Nutrition & Consumer Services Agency

Free & Reduced Price
School Lunch &
Breakfast*

Education & Labor

Full committee

Agriculture, Nutrition

Nutrition & Food Assistance

FNS

Social Services Block
Grant

Human Resources

(About the committee)

Full committee

ACF

Head Start

Education & Labor

Early Childhood, Elementary & Secondary Elementary

Health, Education,

Labor and Pensions

Children & Families

ACF
(Also see)

Title I, ESEA (Helping
Disadvantaged Children
Meet High Standards)

Education & Labor

Full committee

Health, Education,

Labor and Pensions

Full committee

ACF

Individuals with
Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA)

Education & Labor

Full committee

Health, Education,

Labor and Pensions

Full committee

Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services
(Also see)

Student Financial
Assistance

Education & Labor

Full committee

Health, Education,

Labor & Pensions

Full committee

Federal Student Aid

Workforce
Investment Act (WIA)

Education & Labor

Higher Education, Lifelong Learning & Competitiveness

Health, Education,

Labor & Pensions

Full committee

Employment & Training Administration

Juvenile Justice
& Delinquency
Prevention Act (JJDPA)

Education & Labor

Healthy Families & Communities

Crime & Drugs

Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention

Section 8 & Public
Housing

Financial Services

Housing & Community Opportunity

Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs

Housing, Transportation & Community

Housing and Urban Development

Office of Public & Indian Housing

*Plus these programs: Summer Food, Child and Adult Care Fund and Special Milk

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