# Safe Home Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary

## What This Bill Does

The Safe Home Act of 2025 addresses a concerning practice called "unregulated custody transfers," where parents or guardians informally hand over custody of their adopted children to someone else without going through the formal legal adoption or guardianship process. The bill defines what constitutes an unregulated custody transfer, establishes it as a policy concern, and requires the federal government to raise awareness about the problem and gather data on how often it occurs.

## Who Is Affected

This bill primarily protects **adopted children** who might be placed in unsafe situations through informal custody arrangements. It also affects:
- **Adoptive families** who may struggle with adoption challenges and need better support services
- **Child welfare agencies and courts** who would receive guidance on identifying and responding to these transfers
- **Prospective adoptive families** who would have access to better education and post-adoption support resources
- **Children adopted internationally** who could lose U.S. citizenship if transferred before adoption is finalized

## Key Provisions

- **Defines the problem**: An unregulated custody transfer occurs when a parent abandons legal responsibility for a child by placing them with someone outside the immediate family, without proper background checks, home studies, or legal transfer of guardianship rights

- **Mandates awareness and prevention**: The federal government must update websites and educational materials to help child welfare workers and families understand the risks and alternatives

- **Requires research**: Within two years, the government must submit a detailed report to Congress examining the causes, methods, and scope of unregulated custody transfers, including how social media facilitates these arrangements

- **Excludes safe alternatives**: The definition doesn't apply to surrendering infants to state "safe haven" programs, which are legal and regulated