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.
| 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) |
Finance
Full committee
|
Health & Human Services
Administration for Children
& Families
(Also see)
|
Promoting Safe
and Stable Families
|
Ways and Means
ISFS
(About the committee)
|
Finance
Full committee
|
HHS
ACF
(Also see)
|
Adoption Assistance
(Title IV-E)
|
Ways and Means
ISFS
(About the committee)
|
Finance
Full committee
|
HHS
ACF
(Also see)
|
Child Care and
Development Block
Grant
|
Education & Labor
Early Childhood, Elementary & Secondary Elementary
|
Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
Children and Families
|
HHS
ACF
(Also see)
|
Medicaid
|
Energy and Commerce
Health
|
Finance
Full committee
|
HHS
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
|
State Children's
Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP)
|
Energy and Commerce
Health
|
Finance
Full committee
|
HHS
CMMS
|
Food Stamps
|
Agriculture
Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition & Forestry
|
Agriculture, Nutrition
and Forestry
Nutrition & Food Assistance
|
Agriculture
Food, Nutrition & Consumer Services Agency
|
Free & Reduced Price
School Lunch &
Breakfast*
|
Education & Labor
Full committee
|
Agriculture, Nutrition
& Forestry
Nutrition & Food Assistance
|
Agriculture
FNS
|
Social Services Block
Grant
|
Ways & Means
Human Resources
(About the committee)
|
Finance
Full committee
|
HHS
ACF
(Also see)
|
Head Start
|
Education & Labor
Early Childhood, Elementary & Secondary Elementary
|
Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions
Children & Families
|
HHS
ACF
(Also see)
|
Title I, ESEA (Helping
Disadvantaged Children
Meet High Standards)
|
Education & Labor
Full committee
|
Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions
Full committee
|
HHS
ACF
|
Individuals with
Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA)
|
Education & Labor
Full committee
|
Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions
Full committee
|
Education
Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services
(Also see)
|
Student Financial
Assistance
|
Education & Labor
Full committee
|
Health, Education,
Labor & Pensions
Full committee
|
Education
Federal Student Aid
|
Workforce
Investment Act (WIA)
|
Education & Labor
Higher Education, Lifelong Learning & Competitiveness
|
Health, Education,
Labor & Pensions
Full committee
|
Labor
Employment & Training Administration
|
Juvenile Justice
& Delinquency
Prevention Act (JJDPA)
|
Education & Labor
Healthy Families & Communities
|
Judiciary
Crime & Drugs
|
Justice
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
|
