58 STAT.] 78TH CONG., 2 D SESS.-CH. 174-APR . 22 , 1944 [CHAPTER 174] AV A¶T' 193 April 22, 1944 To regulate the placing of children in family homes, and for other purposes. [H. R . 2618] [Public Law 292i Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the purpose of this Act is to secure for each child under sixteen years of age who is placed in a family home, other than his own or that of a relative within the third degree, such care and guidance as will serve the child's welfare and the best interests of the District of Columbia; and to secure for him custody and care as near as possible to that which should have been given him by his parents. SEC. 2. Any person, firm, corporation, association, or public agency that receives or accepts a child under sixteen years of age and places or offers to place such child for temporary or permanent care in a family home other than that of a relative within the third degree shall be deemed to be maintaining a child-placing agency. No child- placing agency shall be maintained in the District of Columbia with- out a license issued by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia: Provided, That notwithstanding any provisions of section 4 of this Act such a license shall be issued forthwith to any corporation or association chartered by special Act of Congress and having under its charter the purposes or powers of a child-placing agency as herein defined. SEC. 3. Within sixty days after the passage of this Act, the Com- missioners shall appoint, after consultation with the Board of Public Welfare, a committee of eight persons to formulate and adopt rules and regulations, subject to the approval of the Commissioners, pre- scribing standards of placement, care, and services to be required of child-placing agencies, pursuant to the intent and purposes of this Act. The committee shall be composed of a member of the Board of Public Welfare who shall act as chairman of said committee, a mem- ber of the staff of the Health Department of the District of Colum- bia, a member of the staff of the Board of Public Welfare of the District of Columbia, and one representative from each of five chari- table organizations of the District of Columbia having an organized program for placing children in family homes. Each member of said committee shall serve for a term of one year and until his successor is appointed and qualified. The rules and regulations shall be reviewed by the committee annually and, subject to the approval of the Com- missioners, may be amended when deemed necessary. SEC. 4. An application for a license as a child-placing agency shall be made to the Commissioners on forms provided by them and in the manner prescribed. Before such license is issued the Board of Public Welfare shall arrange to have an investigation made of the activities and standards of care of the agency and shall consult with persons having official connection with the agency. If the Board is satisfied as to the good character and intent of the applicant, and that the agency is adequately financed, and that its staff, procedures, and serv- ices conform to the established standards of care, said Board shall recommend to the Commissioners that a license be issued. A provisional license may be issued to any agency which is tem- porarily unable to conform to all the provisions of the established standards of care upon terms and conditions prescribed by the Com- missioners upon recommendation of the Board of Public Welfare. All licenses shall be issued for one year from the date thereof and may be renewed annually on the application of the agency, except that provisional licenses may be issued for not more than three successive years from the date of the passage of this Act. 93650°-45 -PT. I--13 District of Colum- bia. Placement of chil- dren in family homes. Child-placing agency. License. Issuance to certain corporations chartered by Congress. Appointment of committee to pre- scribe standards. Membership. Terms ofoffice. Annual review of rules and regulations. Application for Ii- cense. Investigation and recommendation. Provisional license. Issuance and re- newal of licenses.
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