A case plan is a written document that may be prepared when a child becomes involved with a State child welfare agency. Since the passage of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act (P.L. 96-272) in 1980, Federal law has required the development of a case plan for any child receiving foster care maintenance payments under Title IV-E (42 U.S.C. 671(16)). State laws or policies in all States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands are generally consistent with this requirement, although many States have additional requirements. Approximately 31 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories provide detailed requirements for case planning within their statutes, while the rest of the States provide for case planning within State regulation or policy.
