This section provides resources on practices, policies and procedures related to the adoptive placement of foster children and youth from one County, State, or Tribal nation to a family living in another County, State, Tribal nation, or country. Many of the challenges to placement that normally arise within jurisdictions are often exacerbated across jurisdictions. With commitment, collaboration and cooperation, these issues can be addressed and overcome. Areas of focus include ICPC/ICAMA, agency collaboration, working effectively with resource exchanges, agreements/contracts, funding or purchase of services and subsidies.

ICPC Receiving and Sending State Checklists
The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) is a law that establishes procedures to assure that children and youth are being placed with families that are safe, suitable and able to provide care and that States understand their responsibilities in pre-adoptive and other ICPC regulated placements. These checklists are meant to serve as an overview and generalized description of how ICPC might operate for children and youth being placed across State lines with recruited, general applicant families for the purpose of adoption. Not all steps in the checklists will apply to all situations in every State. Consult with your state ICPC Compact Administrator if in doubt.

• ICPC Receiving State Checklist (398 KB PDF)
• ICPC Sending State Checklist (466 KB PDF)

Resources and Reports

AdoptUsKids

• Dollars and Sense: A Guide to Achieving Adoptions Through Public-Private Contracting (762 KB PDF): This guide provides public and private agency program managers, supervisors and contract managers with information that can help make the purchase of interjurisdictional adoption services truly work. It also serves as a starting point on purchase of service for States and Counties and the private agencies with which they work.
  
  
• Wherever My Family Is, That's Home! Adoption Services for Military Families (1.5 MB PDF): This guide provides a roadmap to help caseworkers make quality and timely adoption services readily available for military families and focuses on what adoption agencies and military personnel can do to prepare and help military families on their journey to adopt children, including their relatives’ children, from foster care.
  
  
• State by State Resources to Facilitate the Interjurisdictional Placement Process (179 KB PDF): In response to the many concerns about the delays in and complexities of interjurisdictional placements for children in foster care, the Children’s Bureau developed and conducted a national survey focused on identifying strategies and possible solutions for resolving these issues. A report was developed that describes the survey’s findings and presents ten recommendations for improving the overall process.

Federal Resources

• Interjurisdictional Placement of Children in the Child Welfare Process: Improving the Process (1.2 MB PDF): This is the 2006 final report prepared for the Children's Bureau on improving the interjurisdictional placement process for children in the child welfare system. Data includes the results of suveys highlighting the existing barriers to interjurisdictional placement, efforts being undertaken to address those barriers and summary suggestions in specific categories for making improvements. Source: Research Triangle Institute for the Children’s Bureau

Other Resources

• Indian Child Welfare Act Compliance Desk Aid for New York State Child Welfare Workers (109 KB DOC): Informational Letter from New York State OCFS introducing the Indian Child Welfare Compliance Desk Aid for NY State child welfare workers and model notification letters to social service districts and voluntary authorized agencies. The 2006 desk aid was developed as a staff resource to assist in their work of placing children, improving compliance with the requirements of ICWA. Source: New York State Office of Children & Family Services
  
  
• Military Families and Adoption: A Bulletin for Professionals: A 2003 bulletin giving an overview of the benefits and potential challenges in utilizing military families as adoptive resources. Also includes a list of programs, organizations and resources useful in supporting, facilitating or assisting military families in their pursuit of adoption. Source: National Adoption Information Clearinghouse
  
  
• What is ICAMA?: The Association of Administrators for the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (AAICAMA) website provides detailed information on Medicaid (Title XIX) eligibility and receipt of services by children who are eligible for Title IV-E adoption assistance. Topic covered include requirements involved in providing Medicaid for a child and covering residential treatment costs in another State. Source: March 2010 issue of E-Notes
  
  
• "How Attorneys can Improve Interstate Placements: Lessons Learned from State CIP Assessments" (100 KB PDF): This 2009 article in the ABA Child Law Practice journal discusses strategies for attorneys in relation to interstate placement cases. The article details several strategies that attorneys can use or promote in order to facilitate interstate placements, including explore resources early, streamline resource parent training and licensing practices, increase involvement and communication across state lines, advocate for special reviews and pursue appeals. Source: April 2010 issue of E-Notes

Online Resources

• Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (AAICPC)
• Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on Adoption & Medical Assistance (AAICAMA)
• Child Welfare Information Gateway
• National Resource Center for Adoption

For additional resources on recruitment and retention of foster, adoptive and kinship parents, see our publications for professionals or find out more about targeted recruitment and family retention.