The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)

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The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) is a law enacted by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands to provide for the protection and services to children placed across state lines. The Compact establishes uniform guidelines and procedures intended to safeguard the best interests of each child. New York was the first state to enact the ICPC in 1960 (NY Social Services Law 374-a).

In general, the ICPC applies to the following types of interstate placements:

• Placement preliminary to an adoption.
• Placements into foster care, including foster homes, group homes, residential treatment facilities, and institutions.
• Placements with relatives when a parent or relative does not hold legal custody of the child(ren).

The ICPC does not apply to interstate placements made in medical or psychiatric hospitals, institutions for the mentally ill, or in boarding schools, or any institution primarily educational in nature.

Effective 10/25/2022, the New York State Court of Appeals Opinion: In the Matter of D.L. v. S.B. et al. determined New York State no longer has the legal authority to process incoming or outgoing parent home study requests via the ICPC. Please reference:

• 23-OCFS-INF-05 - New York State Court of Appeals Decision on Applicability of the ICPC on Parent Placements
  PDF document for 23-OCFS-INF-05 | Word document for 23-OCFS-INF-05
• New York State Court of Appeals Decision on Applicability of the ICPC on Parent Placements and New York State Court of Appeals Opinion: In the Matter of D.L. v. S.B. et al.

The New York State ICPC Office is located within the OCFS Bureau of Permanency Services. This office administers the Compact and serves as the central clearing point for all incoming and outgoing ICPC referrals.

How to complete an ICPC Request

New York agencies and individuals seeking to place a child in another state under the ICPC should follow the appropriate link below for instructions.

• NY Local Districts of Social Services (LDSS) and Voluntary Authorized Agencies (VAs)
• Private / Independent Adoptions
• Residential Placement requests made by School Districts and/or Parents/Guardians

Additional Resources

• Full text of ICPC Articles and Regulations
• ICPC State Pages — This site provides state-specific ICPC information. Each state is responsible for updating its own pages; some information may not be current.

Contact New York State ICPC

Phone:

518-474-9406

Email:

ocfs.sm.NYSICPC@ocfs.ny.gov

Address:

NYS OCFS - ICPC Unit
52 Washington Street
Rooms 331-332 North Building
Rensselaer, NY 12144