May 2009Vol. 10, No. 4AFCARS--A Message From the Children's Bureau
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on January 11, 2008, that proposed amendments to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). During the public comment period, which ended in March 2008, we received a large number of comments concerning the NPRM from interested stakeholders. Then, in October 2008, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 was enacted, making significant changes to the title IV-E program. The Children's Bureau and ACF continue to evaluate the impact of the new law on the data needs of ACF and child welfare agencies. In doing so, we have decided to take publication of a final rule on AFCARS off of the Unified Agenda's schedule of immediately forthcoming regulations. We remain committed to making improvements in AFCARS and will be sure to keep you updated on our next steps.