# Summary of S. 5336: Protecting America's Children by Strengthening Families Act
This bill reauthorizes and expands federal child welfare programs under the Social Security Act, running from fiscal year 2025 through 2029. The legislation significantly increases funding for family support services, court improvements, and caseworker support, while modernizing the child welfare system through technology and reducing administrative burden on states and tribes.
Key funding increases include $420 million annually for family preservation and support services starting in 2026, $40 million yearly for court improvement programs, $26 million annually for caseworker visits and support, and $35 million per year for new demonstration projects helping incarcerated parents maintain relationships with children in foster care. The bill also allocates $30 million annually for substance abuse prevention programs and $10 million yearly for kinship navigator services.
The legislation affects states, tribes, child welfare agencies, courts, and families involved in the child welfare system. It expands eligible services to include family resource centers, peer mentoring programs, and emergency assistance for housing and basic needs. The bill strengthens protections for Native American children by requiring better tribal notice of custody proceedings and mandates improved data collection on children in residential treatment facilities.
Major provisions include modernizing court proceedings to allow remote hearings with participant consent, streamlining reporting requirements to reduce administrative burden on states and tribes by at least 15 percent, and strengthening support for youth aging out of foster care through virtual caseworker visits. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, with flexibility for states and tribes that need additional time to comply.
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