Since the passage of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act (P.L. 96-272) in 1980, Federal law requires the development of a written case plan for any child receiving foster care maintenance payments under title IV-E (42 U.S.C. 671(16)). This review of statutes and administrative codes shows that States are using a variety of approaches to address the issue of case planning. States generally require a case plan when a child is placed in out-of-home care or when a child and his or her family are receiving any kind of in-home services to prevent placement.