Fingerprinting Infrastructure Modernization for Child Welfare

The program aims to modernize fingerprinting and background check infrastructure for state and tribal child welfare agencies to expedite the safe placement of children into family homes. Funding supports the deployment of mobile fingerprinting units and office-based Live Scan stations to eliminate delays in caregiver approval, integrating these tools directly into existing child welfare processes such as home visits and licensing workflows. The initiative focuses on streamlining background check systems to reduce administrative burdens, improve compliance with federal standards, and enhance overall operational efficiency. By embedding fingerprint collection into routine agency activities, the program seeks to remove systemic bottlenecks that hinder timely family placements. Expected outcomes include dramatically faster processing times for fingerprint-based background checks, a broader pool of approved kinship, foster, and adoptive caregivers, and increased capacity for agencies to place children in stable, nurturing homes more quickly. This effort directly supports the Administration for Children and Families’ A Home for Every Child initiative by aligning critical infrastructure investments with the operational realities of child welfare systems. The goal is to strengthen the entire child welfare ecosystem, ensuring greater placement stability and expanding access to qualified families by reducing preventable delays in the approval process.