ACT ONE Newsletter for October 2008
New Federal Law Benefits Foster/Adopt Kids
The “Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act” was signed into law by President George Bush on October 7. This new law, which promises to benefit foster/adopt efforts, is the first major federal legislation on the subject since the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. The new law addresses many of the concerns of ACT and includes:
- Incentives to adopt older and special needs kids;
- The elimination of outdated eligibility requirements for federal support for children adopted from foster care;
- Federal support for children in legal guardianship and kincare;
- Federal support for tribal governments and American Indian children;
- Foster care support to age 21;
- Improved oversight of educational and health care needs of foster children;
- Mandated reasonable effort to place siblings together in foster care.
For more information about this important new law visit the web site of the Pew Charitable Trusts or of Kids Are Waiting.