This bill amends various sections of the Iowa Code to enhance the processes and services related to children in, adopted from, or in need of foster care. It allows for a child to be adjudicated as in need of assistance (CINA) if they require treatment for serious chemical dependency or a mental or behavioral health disorder that poses a risk to their safety or leads to aggressive behavior. This change broadens the criteria for CINA adjudication beyond the previous requirement of needing treatment for serious mental illness or emotional damage. Additionally, the bill eliminates the previous reimbursement structure for foster parents based on a percentage of the USDA's cost estimate for raising a child and mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) review reimbursement rates every three years.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that HHS will reimburse adoption petitioners for preplacement and postplacement investigations, capping the reimbursement at $2,000 for each investigation, contingent upon the approval of initial background checks. It also modifies the responsibility for attorney fees in termination of parental rights cases, exempting licensed attorneys from having to pay these fees. Lastly, the bill removes a specific subsection from the Code, streamlining the legal framework surrounding these issues.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 232.96A, 234.38, 234.6