# Plain Language Summary: Partnership Grants to Strengthen Families Affected by Parental Substance Use Disorder Act of 2024

This bill creates a new federal grant program to help states, counties, and local communities work together to support families dealing with substance abuse problems who are involved with the child welfare system. When a parent struggles with addiction and their child comes to the attention of child protective services, this program aims to coordinate help across multiple agencies so families can stay together safely or reunify more quickly.

The grants will fund partnerships between child welfare agencies, substance abuse treatment providers, courts, and other community organizations. These partnerships will work to identify families with substance use disorders early, connect parents to treatment quickly, and provide support services like counseling, recovery case management, and parenting programs. The bill specifically addresses the needs of infants born with prenatal substance exposure and emphasizes keeping children with their families whenever safely possible. Partnerships can apply for either regional grants (starting at $250,000 for planning and $500,000 for implementation) or statewide grants (starting at $250,000 for planning and $750,000 for implementation), with funding available through 2030.

The program requires partnerships to measure their success by tracking whether children stay safe, families reunify, parents complete treatment, and out-of-home placements decrease. Importantly, the bill limits administrative costs to 10 percent of funding and requires partnerships to plan how they'll continue services after the grant ends. This is designed to help the most vulnerable families—those struggling with addiction while raising children—by making it easier for different agencies to share information, coordinate services, and work toward the common goal of keeping families together and supporting recovery.