Idaho Enacts Foster Care Laws Defining Abuse & Changing Visitation, Placement Oversight

Idaho enacted two foster care-related bills—Senate Bill 1257 and House Bill 724—on March 25, 2026, establishing updated legal definitions of abuse, changes to visitation, and new requirements for foster care placement and oversight. Senate Bill 1257 takes effect July 1, 2026. Approximately 1,500 children are in Idaho foster care at any given time.

Senate Bill 1257, known as Isaiah’s Law, includes provisions that allow courts to establish conditions for in-person parental visitation when physical or sexual abuse is substantiated. If those conditions are not met, in-person visitation may be denied. According to the . . .