Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews, Child and Family Services Reviews

Section 1123A [42 U.S.C. 1320a-1a] of the Social Security Act (the Act) and regulations at 45 CFR 1355.33(b), 45 CFR 1355.33(c) and 45 CFR 1355.35(a) govern the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR). The CFSR looks at both the outcomes related to safety, permanency and well-being of children served by the child welfare system and the assessment of seven systemic factors. The systemic factors refer to systems within a state that, if well-functioning, will support the outcomes. This regulated monitoring process allows ACF to determine whether states are complying with federal child welfare requirements; determine what is happening to children and families; and assist states to enhance their capacity to help children and families achieve positive outcomes. Ultimately, the goal of the CFSR is to help states improve child welfare services by identifying their strengths and areas needing improvement. Three activities are associated with the CFSR collection: a statewide assessment, which is the state’s evaluation of its performance on CFSR outcomes and systemic factors and is used to guide the focus of the onsite review; an on-site review, which involves case record reviews and a joint federal-state team interviewing stakeholders in the state to inform the Children’s Bureau’s (CB) determination of the state’s functioning on the seven systemic factors; and a program improvement plan, which addresses areas in which states are found to be out of conformity with any one of the seven outcomes or seven systemic factors under review. The following ICR has been updated with non substantive changes in response to the Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government Executive Order (Defending Women EO) and recent Presidential Actions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), such as those covered under the EO Initial Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.

The latest form for Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews, Child and Family Services Reviews expires 2027-12-31 and can be found here.

Child and Family Services Review Statewide Assessment

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Community and Social Services - Social Services

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