Interstate Services
Interstate compacts help states oversee and supervise interstate foster care, relative and adoptive placements, improve surveillance of delinquent youth, and locate and return runaway youth. The Compact is the best means we have to ensure protection and services to children who are placed across state lines for foster care or adoption.
Successful permanency planning outcomes of children placed across state lines are promoted by ensuring:
- that each child requiring placement has the opportunity to be placed in a suitable environment, with persons having appropriate qualifications or in institutions having appropriate facilities to provide care;
- that the authorities in a state where a child is to be placed have the opportunity to assess the proposed placement, thereby promoting compliance with requirements for the protection of the child;
- that the authorities of the state from which the placement is made may obtain sufficient information to evaluate the proposed placement before it is made; and
- that appropriate jurisdictional arrangements for the care of children will be promoted.
North Carolina participates in three compacts:
The Interstate Compact on Juveniles (ICJ)
Enacted in 1963 this compact applies to delinquent or runaway juveniles.
Under North Carolina law, juveniles are children under the age of
16. This compact is administrated by the Department
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DJJDP). For
questions concerning this compact please contact the Department
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)
Enacted in 1971 this compact applies to interstate adoptions, foster
care and relative placements. This compact is administrated by the
Division of Social Services.
The Interstate
Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (ICAMA)
Effective October 1, 1999, North Carolina became a member of the
Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (ICAMC) for
children receiving adoption assistance benefits. ICAMC provides
for uniformity and consistency of policy and procedures when a child
with special needs is adopted by a family in another state, or the
adoptive family moves to another state. The children concerned are
those adopted pursuant to adoption agreements between states and
prospective adoptive parents under the terms of Title IV-E of the
Social Security Act. This compact is administrated by the
Division of Social Services.
If you or someone you know require assistance with ICPC or ICAMA, please contact
our Deputy Compact Administrator, Carla McNeill, at carla.mcneill@dhhs.nc.gov
We strive to keep this information as accurate as possible. If information on this page needs to be updated, please Email us.
Page Modified 10/15/2012
