Thursday, September 25, 2008

Historic Foster Care and Adoption Legislation Clears Congress

Since June, National CASA has been very active in Congress, and working with advocates throughout our network, to push for passage of landmark foster care reform legislation. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act includes many significant improvements and opportunities for our children.

We are happy to report that the bill was approved by Congress on September 22. The President is expected to sign the bill into law before September 30.

Most measures in the legislation will take effect immediately upon approval by the President, though guidance to states by the Department of Health and Human Services will be needed for clarification. Provisions that take effect at a later date are noted in the detail below.

The legislation can be reviewed at http://thomas.loc.gov; enter "HR 6893" in the search line, then check "search bill number."

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