Create Accountable Respectful Environments (CARE) for Children Act

This bill seeks to amend Part E of Title IV of the Social Security Act to address critical issues within the foster care system, specifically the shortage of appropriate foster homes and the challenge of keeping sibling groups together. Its primary mechanism is to authorize the placement of foster children in a new category of care called "cottage family homes." By doing so, it aims to expand placement options and ensure children in these homes are eligible for federal foster care maintenance payments, thereby supporting their ongoing safety and well-being. The legislation meticulously defines a "cottage family home" as a licensed residence operated by a child care agency, emphasizing several key characteristics. These homes must encourage strong family connections, facilitate the placement of sibling groups together, and provide children with access to age-appropriate activities. Crucially, they are required to implement a trauma-informed approach , prohibit certain restraints, and establish a system for children to report concerns. Furthermore, these homes must be single-family style, adhere to specific bedroom limits, and provide 24-hour care by live-in parents who apply a reasonable and prudent parent standard, with no time limit on foster care maintenance payments for children placed there.