This bill requires states to allow parents, foster parents, and legal guardians involved in child welfare cases to be represented by family advocates throughout their interactions with the child welfare system. States must establish procedures and standards for these advocates, inform families of their right to advocacy services at the start of any case, and permit advocates to represent families' interests without requiring the state to pay for these services. The legislation also requires states to submit information to the federal government about how providing access to family advocates affects their child welfare services, and mandates that the Secretary of Health and Human Services report to Congress every two years on the status and impact of family advocacy rights across all states. The bill applies to all states receiving federal funding for child welfare services under the Social Security Act and does not establish a specific federal funding amount, instead leaving costs to families or private advocacy organizations.
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