March 2012Vol. 13, No. 2State Fostering Connections Legislation
The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act was enacted in 2008 to connect and support relative caregivers, improve the lives of children in foster care, support Tribal foster care and adoptions, and improve incentives for adoption. Since then, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has tracked State legislation related to the Fostering Connections Act.
During the 2009 and 2010 State legislative sessions, 33 States and the District of Columbia enacted 63 bills related to the provisions of the Fostering Connections Act. In the 2011 legislative session, 26 bills were enacted or are pending in 18 States. The NCSL has produced a summary of these bills and all 2011 State legislation pertaining to the act.
Common topics of the legislation reflect Federal requirements, including continuity of educational services, subsidies and funding, sibling groups placed together or permitted frequent visitation, and identifying and notifying relatives of a child removed from parents' custody.
More details are available on the NCSL website: