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FederalHB579indirectPassed House

Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025

  1. Introduced
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. To President
  5. Became Law

Overview

This bill amends federal foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention programs under the Social Security Act, potentially affecting how states use data and incentives to recruit families into foster and adoption systems.

Why it matters: Christian families and faith-based adoption and foster-care agencies rely on these federal programs and reimbursements; changes to recruitment, data use, or eligibility rules could impact their participation and ability to serve children according to their faith convictions.

Topic: Child welfare / CPS / foster care · classifier confidence 72%

What this changes

Amends existing law

Law today: Title IV of the Social Security Act currently governs the federal foster care and adoption assistance programs, including child welfare services and funding to states.

If passed: The bill would amend federal foster and adoption recruitment and retention provisions to use data more strategically in recruiting families. This could affect Christian families by making foster care and adoption pathways more visible to faith communities, potentially lowering barriers to participation, though the bill's exact mechanisms are not detailed in the available summary.

AI-generated from the bill text — verify against the official text.

Likely supporters & opponents

Likely support

  • foster care and adoption advocacy organizations — Better use of data to target and recruit qualified families will increase placement stability and reduce the number of children in the foster system.
  • faith-based child-welfare organizations — More effective recruitment helps connect families—including religious families—with children in need, aligning with Christian values of caring for vulnerable children.

Likely opposition

  • privacy advocacy groups — Use of personal data for recruitment could raise privacy concerns if individuals' information is shared without sufficient consent or safeguards.

AI-inferred typical positions based on the bill’s substance — general stakeholder categories, not confirmed endorsements.

Should I support this?

Likely helpful for Christian families

The bill aims to improve foster and adoptive parent recruitment, which aligns with Christian values of caring for vulnerable children and expanding avenues for religious families to serve through fostering and adoption without apparent new restrictions or burdens on parental autonomy.

An AI assessment from a Christian-family perspective — religious freedom, parental rights, and freedom in education — not legal or voting advice.

💬 Chat about this bill ↗Official bill text ↗View on LegiScan ↗

Official summary

To amend parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act to improve foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention, and for other purposes.

Sponsors

  • Randy Feenstra (R)
  • Brendan Boyle (D)
  • Zachary Nunn (R)

Status timeline

  1. 2025-03-05Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.S
  2. 2025-03-04Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.H
  3. 2025-03-04On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H962-963)H
  4. 2025-03-04DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 579.H
  5. 2025-03-04Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H962-964)H
  6. 2025-03-04Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.H
  7. 2025-01-21Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.H
  8. 2025-01-21Introduced in HouseH

H = House · S = Senate · A = Assembly