Text of compact. The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children is as follows:
It is the purpose and policy of the party states to cooperate with each other in the interstate placement of children to the end that:
(a) Each child requiring placement receives the maximum opportunity to be placed in a suitable environment and with persons or institutions having appropriate qualifications and facilities to provide a necessary and desirable degree and type of care.
(b) The appropriate authorities in a state where a child is to be placed may have full opportunity to ascertain the circumstances of the proposed placement, thereby promoting full compliance with applicable requirements for the protection of the child.
(c) The proper authorities of the state from which the placement is made may obtain the most complete information on the basis of which to evaluate a projected placement before it is made.
(d) Appropriate jurisdictional arrangements for the care of children are promoted.
As used in this compact:
(a) “Child” means a person who, by reason of minority, is legally subject to parental control, guardianship or similar control.
(b) “Placement” means the arrangement for the care of a child in a family free or boarding home or in a child-caring agency or institution but does not include any institution caring for the mentally ill, mentally defective or epileptic or any institution primarily educational in character, and any hospital or other medical facility.
(c) “Receiving state” means the state to which a child is sent, brought, or caused to be sent or brought, whether by public authorities or private persons or agencies, and whether for placement with state or local public authorities or for placement with private agencies or persons.
(d) “Sending agency” means a party state, officer or employee thereof; a subdivision of a party state, or officer or employee thereof; a court of a party state; a person, corporation, association, charitable agency or other entity which sends, brings or causes to be sent or brought any child to another party state.
(a) A sending agency shall not send, bring or cause to be sent or brought into any other party state any child for placement in foster care or as a preliminary to a possible adoption unless the sending agency complies with each and every requirement set forth in this article and with the applicable laws of the receiving state governing the placement of children therein.
(b) Prior to sending, bringing or causing any child to be sent or brought into a receiving state for placement in foster care or as a preliminary to a possible adoption, the sending agency shall furnish the appropriate public authorities in the receiving state written notice of the intention to send, bring or place the child in the receiving state. The notice must contain:
(1) The name, date and place of birth of the child.
(2) The identity and address or addresses of the parents or legal guardian.
(3) The name and address of the person, agency or institution to or with which the sending agency proposes to send, bring or place the child.
(4) A full statement of the reasons for the proposed action and evidence of the authority pursuant to which the placement is proposed to be made.
(c) Any public officer or agency in a receiving state which is in receipt of a notice pursuant to paragraph (b) of this article may request of the sending agency, or any other appropriate officer or agency of or in the sending agency’s state, and is entitled to receive therefrom, such supporting or additional information as it considers necessary under the circumstances to carry out the purpose and policy of this compact.
(d) The child must not be sent, brought or caused to be sent or brought into the receiving state until the appropriate public authorities in the receiving state notify the sending agency, in writing, to the effect that the proposed placement does not appear to be contrary to the interests of the child.
The sending, bringing or causing to be sent or brought into any receiving state of a child in violation of the terms of this compact is a violation of the laws respecting the placement of children of both the state in which the sending agency is located or from which it sends or brings the child and of the receiving state. Such a violation may be punished or subjected to penalty in either jurisdiction in accordance with its laws. In addition to liability for any such punishment or penalty, the violation constitutes full and sufficient grounds for the suspension or revocation of any license, permit or other legal authorization held by the sending agency which empowers or allows it to place or care for children.
(a) The sending agency retains such jurisdiction over the child sufficient to determine all matters in relation to the custody, supervision, care, treatment and disposition of the child as it would have had if the child had remained in the sending agency’s state, until the child is adopted, reaches majority, becomes self-supporting or is discharged with the concurrence of the appropriate authority in the receiving state. That jurisdiction also includes the power to effect or cause the return of the child or his transfer to another location and custody pursuant to law. The sending agency continues to have financial responsibility for support and maintenance of the child during the period of the placement. Nothing contained in this article defeats a claim of jurisdiction by a receiving state sufficient to deal with an act of delinquency or crime committed therein.
(b) When the sending agency is a public agency, it may enter into an agreement with an authorized public or private agency in the receiving state to provide one or more services to the child as the agent for the sending agency.
(c) Nothing in this compact prevents a private charitable agency authorized to place children in the receiving state from performing services or acting as the agent in that state for a private charitable agency of the sending state, or to prevent the agency in the receiving state from discharging its financial responsibility for the support and maintenance of a child who has been placed on behalf of the sending agency without relieving the responsibility set forth in paragraph (a).
A child adjudicated delinquent may be placed in an institution in another party jurisdiction pursuant to this compact but no such placement may be made unless the child is given a court hearing on notice to the parent or guardian with opportunity to be heard, prior to his being sent to the other party jurisdiction for institutional care and the court finds that:
(a) Equivalent facilities for the child are not available in the sending agency’s jurisdiction; and
(b) Institutional care in the other jurisdiction is in the best interest of the child and will not produce undue hardship.
The executive head of each jurisdiction party to this compact shall designate an officer to act as the administrator and general coordinator of activities under this compact in his jurisdiction and who, acting jointly with like officers of other party jurisdictions, may adopt regulations to carry out more effectively the terms and provisions of this compact.
This compact does not apply to:
(a) The sending or bringing of a child into a receiving state by his parent, stepparent, grandparent, adult brother or sister, adult uncle or aunt or his guardian and leaving the child with any such relative or nonagency guardian in the receiving state.
(b) Any placement, sending or bringing of a child into a receiving state pursuant to any other interstate compact to which both the state from which the child is sent or brought and the receiving state are parties, or to any other agreement between the states which has the force of law.
This compact is open to joinder by any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and, with the consent of Congress, the Government of Canada or any province thereof. It becomes effective with respect to any jurisdiction when the jurisdiction has enacted it into law. Withdrawal from this compact must be by the enactment of a statute repealing it, but does not take effect until 2 years after the effective date of the statute and until written notice of the withdrawal has been given by the withdrawing jurisdiction to the executive head of each other party jurisdiction. Withdrawal of a party jurisdiction does not affect the rights, duties and obligations under this compact of any sending agency in that jurisdiction with respect to a placement made prior to the effective date of withdrawal.
The provisions of this compact must be liberally construed to effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this compact are severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of the United States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance are not affected thereby. If this compact is held contrary to the constitution of any state party thereto, the compact remains in full force and effect as to the remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.
Last modified: February 25, 2006