This document is designed as a technical assistance tool for Indian Tribes to use in considering how to plan for the resources, policies, and procedures they will or may need to implement a direct title IV-E program. Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

All title IV-E agencies (states, territories, and tribes) report financial information on a quarterly basis for the title IV-E Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, Guardianship Assistance, Prevention Services, and Kinship Navigator programs using Form CB-496. Title IV-E agencies also provide information on adoption savings, derived from the title IV-E Adoption Assistance program, using Form CB-496. A summary of the adoption-savings data is posted on the Children’s Bureau website Adoption Savings Data. Form CB-496 quarterly reporting includes costs (expenditures and next-quarter estimates) and caseload data in various funding categories. All expenditures are actual payments made to foster parents, adoptive parents, legal guardians, vendors, service providers, and contractors or actual payments for agency administrative, personnel, or other allowable cost items that are allocable to the program in accordance with an approved or pending cost allocation plan or negotiated indirect cost rate. Expenditures are reported as “total computable,” which includes both the federal and tribal/state shares and the federal share, which is computed using the appropriate federal medical assistance percentage or federal financial participation rate costs as specified in statute. Caseload data include the average monthly number of children for whom specified title IV-E expenditures were made. Some reported caseload data cover all children receiving assistance or services in the program area, including those who are not title IV-E eligible. A copy of Form CB-496, including detailed instructions for completing the form, can be found in Program Instruction ACYF-CB-PI-21-08. Beginning with fiscal year (FY) 2019, the Children’s Bureau posts an annual FY summary of Form CB-496 expenditures and caseloads as reported by each title IV-E agency. Posted data tables include the combination of current-quarter and prior-quarter adjustment expenditures and current-quarter caseload data as delineated in quarterly Form CB-496 submissions for each FY. Actual funding provided to each title IV-E agency for each identified program can differ from the reported expenditure amount if the Administration for Children and Families determines that some portion of the claims are not allowable. Beginning in FY 2022, the Children's Bureau is also providing a summary chart showing trends in claims for each of the title IV-E programs over the past five years. Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) authorized new optional title IV-E funding for certain time-limited prevention services through creation of the title IV-E prevention program. On March 9, 2020, the Children’s Bureau hosted a webinar to provide an update on the implementation of the title IV-E prevention program and to assist title IV-E agencies and their partners developing prevention plans in their jurisdictions. Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

This Information Memorandum (IM) provides introductory information to title IV-E tribes that choose to develop and implement an automated Child Welfare Information System. This IM contains information about how an automated system can support a tribal title IV-E agency’s child welfare program, implementing and maintaining systems, title IV-E funding, and the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS). Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) authorized new optional title IV-E funding for certain time-limited prevention services through creation of the title IV-E prevention program. On September 20, 2021 the Children’s Bureau hosted a webinar on Title IV-E Program Data Submission. Descriptive Audio Version Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) authorized new optional title IV-E funding for certain time-limited prevention services through creation of the title IV-E prevention program. On September 20, 2021 the Children’s Bureau hosted a webinar on Title IV-E Program Data Submission. Descriptive Audio Version Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

This Information Memorandum (IM) urges all state and tribal title IV-E agencies, courts, administrative offices of the courts, and Court Improvement Programs to work together to ensure that parents, children and youth, and child welfare agencies, receive high quality legal representation at all stages of child welfare proceedings, and to maximize allowable title IV-E administrative reimbursement for children who are candidates for title IV-E foster care or who are in title IV-E foster care and their parent(s) in foster care legal proceedings. Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

All title IV-E agencies (states, territories, and tribes) report financial information on a quarterly basis for the title IV-E Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, Guardianship Assistance, Prevention Services, and Kinship Navigator programs using Form CB-496. Form CB-496 quarterly reporting includes costs (expenditures and next-quarter estimates) and caseload data in various funding categories. Units of Response: Program Type of Data: Financial Tribal Data: Yes Periodicity: Annual Demographic Indicators: Geographic Areas SORN: Not Applicable Data Use Agreement: No Data Use Agreement Location: Unavailable Granularity: Program;State Spatial: United States Geocoding: Unavailable

The title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) is a formula grant that helps States, Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations and Tribal Consortia (hereafter “Tribes”) who opt to provide guardianship assistance payments for the care of children by relatives who have assumed legal guardianship of eligible children for whom they previously cared as foster parents. Unlike title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, the title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program is an optional program for title IV-E agencies. The program is authorized by title IV-E of the Social Security Act, and funding is contingent upon an approved title IV-E plan to administer or supervise the administration of the program. For those States and Tribes that opt to participate in the program, federal assistance may be used only to support the care of children discharged from foster care to legal guardianship who meet the eligibility requirements specified in the statute. Funds may also be used to support siblings of eligible children in certain situations as specified in the statute. In general, beneficiaries are children who have been eligible for title IV-E Foster Care maintenance payments during at least a six consecutive month period during which the child resided in the home of the prospective relative guardian who was licensed or approved as meeting the licensure requirements as a foster family home. In addition, the State or Tribal agency must determine 1) that return home or adoption are not appropriate permanency options for the child; 2) the child demonstrates a strong attachment to the prospective relative guardian; 3) the relative guardian has a strong commitment to caring permanently for the child; and 4) for children who have attained the age of 14, the child has been consulted regarding the kinship guardianship arrangement. Beneficiaries may also be siblings of eligible children placed in the same kinship guardianship arrangement. Federal assistance is available to States and Tribes for payments made to a relative guardian in accordance with a kinship guardianship agreement that is in writing, negotiated and is binding. The fifty (50) States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Tribes with approved title IV-E plans are eligible to participate in the Guardianship Assistance Program awards. As of January 2025, 56 Title IV-E Agencies have approved Title IV-E plan amendments that enable them to make claims for federal support of eligible guardianship assistance. Child Welfare Policy Manual — includes questions and answers regarding the Guardianship Assistance Program.Program Instructions 10-01: This Program Instruction (PI) provides instruction on the Title IV-E Plan Amendment — Guardianship Assistance Program; Title IV-E Guardianship Demonstration Projects; Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.Program Instructions 10-11: This Program Instruction (PI) provides instruction on the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351). Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

The Children’s Bureau supports a contract to provide evaluation technical assistance to title IV-E agencies in conducting evaluations of their Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration projects. This document summarizes the technical assistance contract to assist title IV-E agencies in evaluating these projects; assist the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) in monitoring and reviewing the progress of these evaluations; and synthesize and disseminate findings from the evaluations. Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.