September 15, 2009

U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Income Security & Family Support Hearing on the Fostering Connection to Success & Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008

Linda Spears, vice president of policy and public affairs at the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Income Security & Family Support hearing on the Fostering Connection to Success & Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. Ms. Spears said that CWLA has seen positive developments in the first months as states are starting to move forward to implement the new law that will permit greater use of updated child welfare practices to encourage adoption and placement with relatives. However, Ms. Spears said that CWLA is concerned that the enhanced funding provided by the law for kinship care may not be available to states for children already in such placements. She urged Congress to work with the Obama Administration to address the possibility that some of the current kin families would be eligible for federal funding after a state has taken the guardianship option.