Safe Home Act of 2025 Aims to Curb Unregulated Child Transfers: New Reporting and Awareness Measures Introduced

The Safe Home Act of 2025 is stepping in to tackle a serious problem: unregulated custody transfers. Basically, it's about what happens when parents, particularly adoptive parents, give up custody of their kids to someone who isn't family, a close friend, or part of their tribe – and they do it without going through the proper legal channels or ensuring the child's safety.

What's the Deal with "Unregulated Custody Transfers?"

This bill defines "unregulated custody transfer" pretty clearly (SEC. 2). It's when a parent or guardian essentially abandons a child to someone who isn't a close connection, intending to cut ties, and without making sure the kid is safe or legally transferring their rights. Think of it like handing off a child to a near-stranger without any legal paperwork or safety net. But, it's important to note that this doesn't include using a state's safe haven law to surrender an infant.

Getting the Word Out, and Getting the Facts

This bill is all about two main things: awareness and information.

• Raising Awareness (SEC. 2): The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is tasked with working with other federal agencies to boost public awareness about how bad these unregulated transfers can be. They're going to update websites and resources to teach state, local, and tribal child welfare workers, as well as prospective adoptive families, how to prevent these situations and find support services.
• Real World Example: Imagine a family that adopted a child with special needs, but they're struggling and feel overwhelmed. Instead of seeking help, they give the child to someone they met online who claims to be able to handle the child's needs, without any legal oversight. The Safe Home Act is trying to prevent that kind of scenario.
• Reporting to Congress (SEC. 2): Within two years, the Secretary of HHS, along with the Secretary of State, has to give Congress a full report on these unregulated transfers. This report has to cover what causes them, how they happen, how they affect kids, how often they occur, and what policies could help prevent or address them. They also have to explain what they've done to increase public awareness.

Updating the Books

• Technical Fix (SEC. 2): The bill also makes a small but important update to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978, just to make sure everything lines up correctly with a section that's been moved.

Challenges and Long-Term Effects

While the Safe Home Act is a step in the right direction, it's not a magic bullet. The definition of "unregulated custody transfer" could be tricky to nail down in practice. And, simply raising awareness might not be enough if the root causes – like a lack of support for struggling adoptive families – aren't addressed. Long-term, the success of this bill will depend on how effectively these awareness campaigns are implemented and whether the report to Congress leads to real, concrete policy changes.

This bill is taking a hard look at a hidden problem and trying to bring it into the light. By boosting awareness and gathering data, it's laying the groundwork for better protections for vulnerable kids.