34 U.S.C. § 60553 — Addressing the needs of children of incarcerated parents

(a) Best practices. (1) In general: using available funds, the Attorney General may collect data and develop best practices for how State corrections departments and child protection agencies communicate and coordinate. The goal is to keep children of incarcerated parents safe and supported — including children in foster care and kinship care — and to support parent-child relationships between incarcerated or formerly incarcerated parents and their children, to the extent that's good for the children's health and well-being. (2) Contents: these best practices must cover policies, procedures, and programs States can use to address: (A) keeping the parent-child bond going during incarceration; (B) helping parents improve themselves; and (C) involving parents in planning for their children's future and well-being. (b) Dissemination to States. No later than one year after developing the best practices, the Attorney General must share them with States and other relevant entities. (c) Sense of Congress. Congress's view is that States and other relevant entities should use these best practices to evaluate and improve coordination between State corrections departments and child protection agencies — to keep children of incarcerated parents safe and supported, and to support parent-child relationships, to the extent that benefits the children's health and well-being.