Measure helps children move out of foster care

By Lisa Pieper  |  Pantagraph  |  Link to article
October 14, 2008

Children's Home + Aid applauds the passage of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act - H.R. 6893 - signed into law on Oct. 7.

This historic, bipartisan legislation makes the most significant improvements to the nation's child welfare system in more than a decade, increasing children's chances to leave foster care for permanent, loving homes.

The bill was introduced by retiring Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Ill., along with Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., and contains several important reforms, including the provision of relative guardianship support and the extension of foster care to youth from 18 to 21 years of age.

In Illinois, relative guardianship has been supported through a federal Title IV-E waiver that has helped thousands of children leave the foster care system.

Relative guardianship support has allowed Children's Home + Aid to place foster children into permanent loving homes with their relatives. Enacting federal support for relative guardianship throughout the country is a tremendous leap forward in policy and will provide permanent homes for thousands of foster children now and into the future.

The new law also makes federal dollars available for the training of staff employed by private child welfare agencies. This welcome component of the legislation will support the dedicated child welfare work force as they work to keep children safe in our community.

Lisa Pieper

Bloomington

The writer is regional vice president, Children's Home + Aid's Children's Foundation.