This bill amends various sections of Iowa's Code related to children in need of assistance, foster care reimbursement, and adoption processes. It allows a court to classify a child as in need of assistance if they require treatment for serious chemical dependency or a mental or behavioral health disorder that poses safety risks or leads to aggressive behavior, provided that the child's parent or guardian is unable or unwilling to secure such treatment. This expands the criteria for adjudication beyond the previous focus on mental illness or emotional damage.

Additionally, the bill modifies the reimbursement structure for foster parents by removing the requirement that rates be based on a specific percentage of the USDA's cost estimate for raising a child, and it eliminates the additional stipend for special needs children. Instead, it mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services review reimbursement rates every three years. The bill also stipulates that the department will cover costs for preplacement and postplacement investigations related to adoptions, capped at $2,000 each, but only after the initial background checks are approved. Furthermore, it updates the responsibility for attorney fees in termination of parental rights cases, exempting licensed attorneys from this obligation. Lastly, it strikes a specific subsection from the Code that is no longer necessary.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 232.96A, 234.38, 234.6