TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE; DATA COLLECTION AND EVALUATION
Sec. 476. [42 U.S.C. 676] (a) The Secretary may provide technical assistance to the States to assist them to develop the programs authorized under this part and shall periodically (1) evaluate the programs authorized under this part and part B of this title and (2) collect and publish data pertaining to the incidence and characteristics of foster care and adoptions in this country.
(b) Each State shall submit statistical reports as the Secretary may require with respect to children for whom payments are made under this part containing information with respect to such children including legal status, demographic characteristics, location, and length of any stay in foster care.
(c) Technical Assistance and Implementation Services for Tribal Programs.—
(1) Authority.—The Secretary shall provide technical assistance and implementation services that are dedicated to improving services and permanency outcomes for Indian children and their families through the provision of assistance described in paragraph (2).
(2) Assistance provided.—
(A) In general.—The technical assistance and implementation services shall be to—
(i) provide information, advice, educational materials, and technical assistance to Indian tribes and tribal organizations with respect to the types of services, administrative functions, data collection, program management, and reporting that are required under State plans under part B and this part;
(ii) assist and provide technical assistance to—
(I) Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal consortia seeking to operate a program under part B or under this part through direct application to the Secretary under section 479B; and
(II) Indian tribes, tribal organizations, tribal consortia, and States seeking to develop cooperative agreements to provide for payments under this part or satisfy the requirements of section 422(b)(9) , 471(a)(32), or 477(b)(3)(G); and
(iii) subject to subparagraph (B), make one-time grants, to tribes, tribal organizations, or tribal consortia that are seeking to develop, and intend, not later than 24 months after receiving such a grant to submit to the Secretary a plan under section 471 to implement a program under this part as authorized by section 479B, that shall—
(I) not exceed $300,000; and
(II) be used for the cost of developing a plan under section 471 to carry out a program under section 479B, including costs related to development of necessary data collection systems, a cost allocation plan, agency and tribal court procedures necessary to meet the case review system requirements under section 475(5), or any other costs attributable to meeting any other requirement necessary for approval of such a plan under this part.
(B) Grant condition.—
(i) In general.—As a condition of being paid a grant under subparagraph (A)(iii), a tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium shall agree to repay the total amount of the grant awarded if the tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium fails to submit to the Secretary a plan under section 471 to carry out a program under section 479B by the end of the 24-month period described in that subparagraph.
(ii) Exception.—The Secretary shall waive the requirement to repay a grant imposed by clause (i) if the Secretary determines that a tribe’s, tribal organization’s, or tribal consortium’s failure to submit a plan within such period was the result of circumstances beyond the control of the tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium.
(C) Implementation authority.—The Secretary may provide the technical assistance and implementation services described in subparagraph (A) either directly or through a grant or contract with public or private organizations knowledgeable and experienced in the field of Indian tribal affairs and child welfare.
(3) Appropriation.—There is appropriated to the Secretary, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal year thereafter to carry out this subsection
(d)[357]Technical Assistance and Best Practices, Clearinghouse, Data Collection, and Evaluations Relating to Prevention Services and Programs.—
(1) Technical assistance and best practices.—The Secretary shall provide to States and, as applicable, to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal consortia, technical assistance regarding the provision of services and programs described in section 471(e)(1) and shall disseminate best practices with respect to the provision of the services and programs, including how to plan and implement a well-designed and rigorous evaluation of a promising, supported, or well-supported practice.
(2) Clearinghouse of promising, supported, and well-supported practices.—The Secretary shall, directly or through grants, contracts, or interagency agreements, evaluate research on the practices specified in clauses (iii), (iv), and (v), respectively, of section 471(e)(4)(C), and programs that meet the requirements described in section 427(a)(1), including culturally specific, or location- or population-based adaptations of the practices, to identify and establish a public clearinghouse of the practices that satisfy each category described by such clauses. In addition, the clearinghouse shall include information on the specific outcomes associated with each practice, including whether the practice has been shown to prevent child abuse and neglect and reduce the likelihood of foster care placement by supporting birth families and kinship families and improving targeted supports for pregnant and parenting youth and their children.
(3) Data collection and evaluations.—The Secretary, directly or through grants, contracts, or interagency agreements, may collect data and conduct evaluations with respect to the provision of services and programs described in section 471(e)(1) for purposes of assessing the extent to which the provision of the services and programs—
(A) reduces the likelihood of foster care placement;
(B) increases use of kinship care arrangements; or
(C) improves child well-being.
(4)Reports to congress.—
(A) In general.—The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives periodic reports based on the provision of services and programs described in section 471(e)(1) and the activities carried out under this subsection.
(B) Public availability.—The Secretary shall make the reports to Congress submitted under this paragraph publicly available.
(5) Appropriation.—Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated to the Secretary $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2018 and each fiscal year thereafter to carry out this subsection.
(e)[358] Evaluation of State Procedures and Protocols to Prevent Inappropriate Diagnoses of Mental Illness or Other Conditions.—The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the procedures and protocols established by States in accordance with the requirements of section 422(b)(15)(A)(vii). The evaluation shall analyze the extent to which States comply with and enforce the procedures and protocols and the effectiveness of various State procedures and protocols and shall identify best practices. Not later than January 1, 2020, the Secretary shall submit a report on the results of the evaluation to Congress.
[357] P.L. 115–123, §50711(d), added subsection (d). Effective February 9, 2018.
[358] P.L. 115–123, §50743(b), added subsection (e). Effective February 9, 2018.