U.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) has introduced a bipartisan bill that would add ‘rehoming’ – the unregulated practice of trading unwanted, adopted children to strangers – to the federal definition of child abuse and neglect under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).
Rep. Marino introduced the bill, known as the Safe Home Act, with U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI).
“As the father of two adopted children I can think of nothing more important than making sure minors in the child welfare system are protected,” said Rep. Marino. “By classifying rehoming as a form of child abuse, the Safe Home Act gives our nation’s child welfare authorities what they need to investigate these cases.”
Numerous states are attempting to make rehoming illegal via legislation and many also are trying to increase their investigations of adoptive parents who use the internet to advertise children they want to abandon.
However, state child welfare authorities report they’re unsure whether they can investigate rehoming cases because the term isn’t explicitly defined as a form of child abuse, despite the fact that the practice often places children at risk for neglect, exploitation or even sexual abuse, according to a June 14 statement from Rep. Marino’s office.
If enacted, the Safe Home Act would reduce such legal ambiguity by adding rehoming as a form of child abuse under CAPTA, thereby allowing states to use federal funds to counter the practice, according to the statement.
The bill also would protect parents’ rights to place children with a trusted relative when appropriate, but would ensure they cannot transfer custody to a stranger without the oversight of the child welfare system.
“Rehoming is a frightening phenomenon that is made all the more tragic when child welfare authorities are unable to intervene on an adopted child’s behalf,” Rep. Langevin said. “The Safe Home Act will clarify that rehoming is an abusive practice and will ensure our frontline child defenders have tools to keep adopted children safe and go after those who put them at risk.”
Rep. Marino added that the bill “is a common sense piece of legislation” and he looks forward to moving it forward in the legislative process.