Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act

The Protecting America's Children by Strengthening Families Act reauthorizes and enhances federal child welfare programs to better support children in foster care, their families, and tribal communities. Key provisions include expanding access to family preservation services, modernizing court processes to allow for remote hearings, increasing funding for programs addressing parental substance use disorder, and creating demonstration projects to improve relationships between incarcerated parents and children in foster care. The bill also streamlines funding for Indian tribes, strengthens support for youth aging out of foster care, and requires states to address poverty as a factor in neglect cases. These changes aim to improve child safety, permanency, and well-being while reducing administrative burdens on state agencies. The bill would take effect in October 2025, with funding authorized through 2029.