Children and Families Services Act of 1990

Children and Families Services Act of 1990 - Title I: Strengthening Families; Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect; Preventing the Avoidable Separation of Families - Amends the Social Security Act (the Act) to add a Family Crisis Prevention program to title IV (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) (AFDC). Provides Federal funds to enable each State to furnish, as part of a statewide system of care, intensive family-based crisis intervention programs for families whose children are at imminent risk of placement outside their homes. Provides for maintaining such children safely in their homes, preserving their families, and reducing unnecessary separation.

Allows, under specified conditions, continuation of AFDC payments after removal of a child from a family and resumption of AFDC payments before reunification of a child with a family. Requires annual reports regarding such cases.

Allows payment, on behalf of children who have been returned from foster care to the parents or other family members, of assistance equal to foster care maintenance payments in order to fund aftercare services to preserve families.

Establishes a program of grants for State court systems to assess and improve procedures in child protection cases. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) to submit an interim and a final report to the Congress on such grants program.

Requires State plans for child welfare services to include provisions for annual compilation of a State directory of services programs for preplacement prevention, return to families, and aftercare available to children and families in need served by the State child welfare services agency. Requires the Secretary to publish an annual summary of such State directories.

Title II: Improving the Quality of Out-of-Home Care - Requires States to make certain Federal foster care and adoption assistance payments on behalf of abandoned children.

Requires payments for respite care for children with special needs who are in foster family care.

Authorizes States to increase up to 21 the maximum age of participants in independent living initiative programs. Eliminates the asset limitation for certain children in foster care who are participating in independent living initiatives programs. Authorizes States to increase up to 21 the maximum age of certain children eligible for foster care maintenance payments, if the child is in a program for transition to independent living and if a written transitional independent living plan has been or is being developed for such child.

Requires States to provide the State and local agencies administering the State plan for foster care, and adoption assistance with legal services necessary to meet their responsibilities.

Authorizes any State agency or court to use volunteer panels to assist in review of foster care cases.

Disregards foster care and adoption assistance payments in eligibility determinations for AFDC benefits and food stamp benefits.

Title III: Enhancing Adoption Assistance - Revises the adoption assistance program under which each State having an approved foster care and adoption assistance plan must enter into certain adoption assistance agreements with the adoptive parents of children with special needs who are in the care or under the supervision of public or private nonprofit agencies. Revises eligibility requirements for Medicaid and certain social services. Revises provisions relating to identification of a child as one with special needs, for purposes of the adoption assistance programs. Adds requirements that involve a mental, physical, or emotional disability that: (1) existed before the adoption but was not diagnosed until after the adoption; or (2) first manifests itself after the adoption but is congenital or was caused before the adoption. Requires States to submit to the Secretary the factors and conditions used to identify children with special needs.

Allows each State with an approved plan to make postadoption assistance payments to the adoptive parents of children with special needs who have entered into agreements. Provides for Federal reimbursement for such payments.

Provides for assistance for children experiencing disrupted adoptions.

Sets forth requirements for: (1) steps that must be taken to enhance the likelihood of freeing a child for adoption and finding an adoptive family; and (2) timetables for periodic reviews of progress made toward adoption.

Title IV: Strengthening Service Delivery - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991 through 1994 for grants by the Secretary to public and private nonprofit child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health agencies to conduct demonstration projects to improve recruitment, retention, competency, and training of staff involved in the delivery of services, or immediate supervisors of such staff. Sets forth conditions for such grants.

Directs the Secretary to select an appropriately experienced organization to study workload methodologies among providers of child welfare services and community mental health services. Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory panel composed of leaders in the field of services to children and families to oversee such study. Requires the selected organization to report study results to the Secretary. Authorizes appropriations.