Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act

HR 5507, the Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act, requires states to report detailed data on "hidden foster care arrangements" - situations where children are separated from parents without court oversight or formal foster care placement (e.g., through CPS suggestions for informal family placements). States must track metrics like the number of affected children, types of allegations leading to separations, whether parents received legal help within 72 hours, and how arrangements ended (e.g., reunification or entry into formal foster care). The Secretary of Health and Human Services will compile this data into an annual report for Congress, ensuring standardized national tracking. This bill directly affects children in informal arrangements, their parents, and state child welfare agencies by mandating transparency in practices currently lacking court oversight.