The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) was adopted by all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 1985 to regulate the interstate movement of both foster children and adoptive children. 

This compact provides a mechanism for children to be placed promptly and properly when there is family across state lines that are better suited to care for a child than a local foster or treatment resource. 

Both the originating state (where the child was taken into custody) and the receiving state (where the placement/adoptive parents live and where the placement/adoption of the child will take place) must approve the child's movement in writing before the child can legally leave the originating state.

Nevada has a centralized ICPC office that receives incoming requests from other states seeking to place children in Nevada. Those referrals are made to the local child welfare agencies through the Deputy Administrator of DCFS in Carson City.  DFS manages/coordinates both incoming and outgoing ICPC requests made in Clark County.