The opportunity to grow up in a safe, nurturing, and permanent family is critical to achieving positive outcomes for children. For children in foster care, the goal is a timely exit to permanence through family reunification, guardianship, or adoption.
Policies and practices to address the racial disproportionality and disparities in state and local child welfare systems.
Research shows children do best when they grow up in their own family, and when this is not possible, guardianship and adoption can provide safety, stability, and permanence. Youth who leave care with no permanent home face greater mental health disorders, unemployment, homelessness and other difficulties.
The new federal law, Fostering Connections and Increasing Adoptions Act, provides new options for states.
A comprehensive online guide to state child welfare policies.