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HF 873

A bill for an act relating to aid, processes, services, and reimbursement for services associated with children in, adopted from, or in need of foster care.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Expands CINA eligibility to include certain chemical dependency and behavioral health needs and replaces fixed foster reimbursements with rate-based supports and adoption investiga

Subcommittee recommends passage.
#childcare #children #fostercare #publicassistance
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Bill Summary · HF 873

Summary of HF 873 ( introduced March 7, 2025 )

Overview

HF 873 is a bill addressing aid, processes, services, and reimbursement connected with children who are in foster care, adopted from foster care, or in need of foster care. The bill would expand criteria for court involvement in care (CINA) and restructure certain reimbursement rules for foster parents and adoptive petitioners. The current status shows the Subcommittee recommends passage.

  • Introduced: March 7, 2025
  • Current status: Subcommittee recommends passage
  • Assigned to: Appropriations (as of March 17, 2025)
  • Likely related subjects: Child Care, Foster Care, Public Assistance

Key Provisions

Expanded CINA adjudication criteria

  • The bill allows a court to adjudicate a child in need of assistance (CINA) when the child requires treatment to cure or alleviate:
    • Serious chemical dependency, or
    • Mental or behavioral health disorders that threaten the child’s safety or cause harmful, aggressive behavior in the home or community.
  • This can occur when the parent, guardian, or custodian is unwilling or unable to provide such treatment, or when their efforts to secure treatment have been exhausted and unsuccessful.
  • Under current law, CINA adjudication is generally limited to treatment for serious mental illness/disorder or emotional damage evidenced by severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal, or untoward aggressive behavior, with a similar parental unavailability condition. HF 873 broadens the eligible conditions for CINA adjudication beyond the existing mental-health focus.

Foster parent reimbursement adjustments

  • The requirement that foster parent reimbursements be based on 65% of the USDA estimate of the cost to raise a child (in the prior year) is removed.
  • The additional stipend for special needs children is eliminated.
  • Instead, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would:
    • Adopt rules establishing foster parent reimbursement rates, and
    • Review those rates at least every three years.

Adoption-related investigations reimbursement

  • HHS would reimburse adoption petitioners for costs of preplacement and postplacement investigations up to a maximum of $2,000 per investigation.
  • Reimbursement would not occur until the person performing the preplacement background check approves the adoption petitioner’s initial required background checks.

Who Is Affected

  • Foster families and foster parents (via revised reimbursement framework)
  • Adoptive petitioners (via reimbursement for investigation costs)
  • Children in need of foster care and their families (via expanded CINA criteria and potential new court involvement)
  • HHS and related state agencies (implementation of new rate rules and oversight)

Implementation and Timeline

  • The bill has moved from introduction to referral to Appropriations, indicating budgetary consideration.
  • The Subcommittee met and recommended passage (dates: March 24–25, 2025; members listed include Lohse, Meyer, A., Wilburn).
  • If enacted, HHS would implement rate-setting rules and administer adoption investigation reimbursements, with rate reviews every three years.

Potential Impact

  • Increases in court involvement for certain cases of chemical dependency or behavioral health needs among children.
  • A shift from a fixed, percentage-based foster care reimbursement toward a rate-based system with regular reviews, potentially altering foster care funding levels.
  • Financial support for families pursuing adoption, reducing barriers tied to investigation costs, contingent on background check approvals.
  • Administrative changes for adoption-related reimbursements requiring preplacement background check approvals.

This summary provides a concise view of HF 873’s objectives, major provisions, and potential effects on foster care and adoption processes.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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