NCJ Number
170515
Journal
Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 48 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1997) Pages: 55-64
Date Published
1997
Length
10 pages
Annotation
The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) is discussed in terms of its history, current status, and improvement efforts designed to achieve better service for abused and neglected children and their families.
Abstract
The ICPC was developed by a regional committee formed in the 1950s to address social welfare. The ICPC is a statute enacted uniformly by all 50 State legislatures as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is designed to provide the necessary legal framework for placements involving more than one State. It specifies the persons and agencies that must follow Compact procedures when placing a child from one State into another. However, the frequent delays in placing dependent children through the ICPC with parents, relatives, or other resources have generated widespread dissatisfaction. Therefore, the Association of Administrators of ICPC, the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges established a Joint Committee on ICPC Improvement in October 1995. The committee's December 1996 report supported the purpose of the Compact, urged the elimination of delays and the use of established best practices, and concluded that delays can be reduced through Regulation No. 7 on priority placement. This regulation took effect October 1, 1996. The committee also recommended that States that border each other consider the possibility of established agreements to reduce delays in completing home studies. The committee's tenure has been extended as a means for the organizations involved to continue their cooperation. Each organization is also developing further suggestions for ICPC improvement. Authors' addresses; appended text of Regulation No. 7, list of Joint Committee members, and list of States party to ICPC; and 15 reference notes