February 10, 2009

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act: Implementation Issues and a Look Ahead at Additional Child Welfare Reforms

The passage of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (P.L. 110-351) represents the most significant federal child welfare reform in more than a decade. The impact of the legislation on children depends largely upon how it is implemented. Implementation of the Act includes the process of promulgating and issuing federal regulations, decisions by state policymakers as to how to respond to new federal funding opportunities, and efforts made by the larger child welfare community to provide input into program and policy development.

This brief, written by Rob Geen, summarizes what P.L. 110-351 says and what it means for the nation's most vulnerable children. In addition, the child welfare community recognizes that the legislation did not address some of the larger, longstanding, structural deficiencies with federal child welfare financing. Thus, the brief ends with a look towards the future and legislative opportunities for additional federal child welfare reform.