Georgia senators probe delays, new rules and unlicensed agencies in interstate child-placement process

Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick opened a special Senate committee meeting on the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) saying the session was intended as an informational hearing: “We’ll not be voting today or making any motions,” and “the purpose is to understand the process and to give all parties a chance to be heard,” she said.

The committee heard a national overview of compact law, detailed state statistics and timelines from Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) staff, and a sequence of firsthand accounts from adoption attorneys, licensed agencies, birth mothers and adoptive parents about repeatedly changing checklists, delayed packet reviews and the role of unlicensed intermediaries. The session included presentations from Rick Masters, a national compact attorney, DHS deputy commissioner Bridal Pedersen, ICPC administrator Aletta DeJola Adegin, special assistant attorney general Dina Krim, and RCCL inspector-general staff.

Why it matters: lawmakers and adoption professionals said processing delays and shifting requirements are keeping newborns and adoptive families away from their homes for weeks to months, raising legal and practical questions about uniform implementation of the ICPC, protections for birth parents and whether Georgia’s changes exceed national practice.

National compact background and the new ICPC. Rick Masters, a long‑time compact lawyer and consultant, told the committee compacts are contracts among states that provide uniform procedures; the ICPC dates to the 1950s and has been updated with a newer model compact that a number of states have adopted. Masters said the intent of the revised compact is to strengthen rulemaking and governance to reduce court challenges and enforcement confusion across states.

DHS staffing, caseloads and timelines. Bridal Pedersen, deputy commissioner for DHS’s Office of Health Law and Policy, said Georgia’s ICPC unit has been reorganized and that staff have already updated guidance and the public website. DHS provided the meeting with fiscal‑year workload figures: roughly 1,600…