S. 3223 — Hospital Adoption Education Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings on adoption, including (1) 24% of people in the United States have considered adopting a child, (2) 80% of women who consider adoption do so after their sixth month of pregnancy, (3) 81% of birth parents report that easy access to objective information is important when choosing adoption, (4) 93% of people consider hospitals and health care facilities trustworthy sources of adoption information, (5) 98.2% of nurses have no formal professional training in adoption sensitivities, and (6) fewer than 1% of women with unintended pregnancies place their children for adoption.

This section amends Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5111 et seq.) by (1) redesignating section 205, which establishes administrative arrangements in HHS for adoption and foster care planning, coordination, technical assistance, and promotion (particularly for older children, minority children, and children with special needs), as section 208; and (2) inserting new sections 205 through 207 after section 204. New section 205 directs the Secretary of HHS to develop and nationally disseminate accurate, accessible resources (including digital resources) promoting understanding of health care sensitivities regarding adoption and best practices for interacting with prospective birth mothers and adoptive families; to maintain a public webpage on adoption resources for health care workers on the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) website; and to develop such resources in consultation with a committee including representatives of adoption education organizations, maternal health experts, child welfare experts, licensed social workers, hospital case managers, and adoption attorneys. New section 206 directs the Assistant Secretary for ACF to provide, directly or through grants or contracts, education and professional development to care providers (i.e., health care personnel and ancillary staff at hospitals and birthing centers) on patient care for prospective birth mothers and potential adoptive families, along with consultation services to such facilities on related policies and procedures. Grants or contracts, not exceeding 3 fiscal years, are limited to health care-based nonprofit education organizations focused on adoption that partner with care professionals and others, emphasize holistic perinatal support, and have experience providing non-directive education (and are ineligible if they are or represent child-placing agencies, provide or refer for abortions, or have a vested interest in pregnancy outcomes); recipients must submit annual reports and ensure activities supplement (not supplant) other funds. The Secretary must provide technical assistance, coordinate with other HHS adoption activities, and evaluate program implementation (including numbers of hospitals/birthing centers and care providers reached), submitting a report to Congress within 3 years of enactment. New section 207 defines, for this title, "birth mother" as a woman who terminates parental rights to her baby for adoptive placement; "care provider" as health care personnel (including bedside staff) and ancillary staff contacting expectant mothers, birth mothers, and potential adoptive families in hospitals or birthing centers; and "child-placing agency" as a business or service...