The GRACIE Act of 2025 would establish a grant program within the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The program would award grants to state child protective services (CPS) agencies that have laws, policies, or practices requiring the recording of all child welfare interviews (involving both children and adults). Grants would fund the costs of recording and storing these interviews for at least five years, with specific requirements around how recordings are created, stored, and accessed. The aim is to improve documentation, accountability, and the integrity of child welfare investigations. Eligible states must have a statute or policy mandating recording and retention, and grant funds must be used for the direct costs of recording and maintaining these recordings.
Key Points
- 1Definitions and scope: A “child welfare interview” is a documented CPS interview with a child and involved adults to assess abuse/neglect concerns; a “recording” can be audio, video, or other reasonable methods; retention must be at least five years with state-approved protocols.
- 2Eligible entity: A state CPS agency that has in place a statute, ordinance, policy, or practice requiring recording and retention of all child welfare interviews, plus secure storage and controlled release provisions.
- 3Access and release: Recordings may be released only to investigators of an allegation; caregivers/guardians may obtain copies in connection with a judicial proceeding unless a court orders otherwise.
- 4Retention and security: Recordings must be stored in a manner consistent with state protocols, with penalties for violating release/retention limitations, and storage systems must use access controls and role-based permissions.
- 5Use of funds: Grants must be used exclusively for the costs of recording and retaining all child welfare interviews for five years (including initial family-assessment interviews).
- 6Funding source: The Director of OJJDP would award grants using amounts otherwise available to the Director.