Foster Care Legal Representation

The Administration for Children and Families proposed to allow a title IV-E agency to claim federal financial participation for the administrative cost of an attorney providing: legal representation in foster care proceedings of a title IV-E agency or any other public agency or tribe that has an agreement in effect under which the other agency has placement and care responsibility of a title IV-E eligible child; independent legal representation of a child who is either a candidate for title IV-E foster care, or in title IV-E foster care, the child’s parent(s), and the child’s relative caregiver(s) in foster care and other civil legal proceedings when such legal representation is found necessary by ACF to carry out the requirements in the title IV-E agency’s title IV-E foster care plan; and legal representation of an Indian child’s tribe, when the child’s tribe intervenes in any state court proceeding for the foster care placement or termination of parental rights of an Indian child who is in title IV-E foster care or an Indian child who is a candidate for title IV-E foster care when such legal representation is found necessary by the Secretary to carry out the requirements in the title IV-E agency’s title IV-E foster care plan