AIDEN (Advancing Integrated Data for Equitable National Child Welfare)

The AIDEN Act requires the U.S. Attorney General to administer a standardized survey to federal prisoners during their intake process to document their personal history with child welfare interventions, such as foster care placement or abuse investigations. The bill mandates that states conduct similar surveys for individuals in state custody and submit annual reports to the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain eligibility for certain Justice Department grants. Collected data is stripped of personally identifiable information before being shared with state governments, where it serves as an evidentiary resource for evaluating and improving local child welfare agency planning and support services.