Adoption Highlights

The FC.org Project is a collaboration of nongovernmental partners.  The partner organizations leading efforts on adoption  implementation include the North American Council on Adoptable Children, "Network Partner" to the FC.org Project, and Kerry DeVooght of Child Trends, Issue Manager for the FC.org Project.  For more information about the Project's partnerships, please see here.   

On this Highlights page you will find information on implementation of the adoption provisions of the Fostering Connections Act, as well as selected resources to support implementers

Implementation Progress

• The Fostering Connections Act renewed the federal Adoption Incentive Grant Program. These grants are to provide incentives to States to increase annually the number of foster child adoptions, special needs adoptions, and older child adoptions. On September 15, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded $39 million to 38 states and Puerto Rico for increasing adoptions from foster care. The recipients of these awards completed more adoptions in FY 2009 than in the 2007 baseline year. A list of states who received these funds is available on the Department's website.
• See Implementation News for more examples of state-specific approaches. 

 Selected Adoption Resources

• Federal Guidance
  The Children's Bureau provides a very helpful document intended to serve as a reference for stakeholders interested in locating Children's Bureau (CB) policy, guidance and other implementation activities related to the Fostering Connections
• WEBINAR: Fostering Connections Through Adoptions
  A power point presentation from the April 15, 2010 webinar on the Adoption Provision of the Act hosted by FosteringConnections.org in conjunction with the North American Council on Adoptable Children.
• Q&As from Adoption Webinar - April 15
  During a webinar on Fostering Connections to Adoptions on April 15, 2010, many participants had questions which were answered during and after the session. They are summarized here.
• Implementing the Adoption Assistance Provisions of the Fostering Connections Act
  This tool provides states with guidelines for implementation planning, including key questions to consider to determine cost-savings and reinvestment amounts from the provision. Also includes state-by-state data from AFCARS (2007) on characteristics of waiting children and adopted children regarding Title IV-E status, length of time in care, and age.
• IV-E Delink Cost Savings Worksheets
  A spreadsheet with embedded formulas designed to help states estimate the cost implications of the Adoption Assistance de-link provision. The tool estimates costs and/or savings for the state resulting from the implementation of the provision for FY 2010 and FY2011 (and, thus, the amount states must reinvest in Titles IV-B or IV-E services).
• De-Linking Provision Will Result in New Child Welfare Funds
  A summary of the Adoption Assistance de-linking provision of the Fostering Connections Act; questions for states to consider when projecting their potential cost-savings and the reinvestment of these dollars, per the Fostering Connections' Maintenance of Effort requirement. Data on states with the highest percentage of children impacted by the law in its initial phase: non-IV-E waiting children; non-IV-E waiting children who have been in care for at least 60 months; and non-IV-E waiting children who are at least 16 years old.
• Trends in Adoptions from Foster Care in the Wake of Child Welfare Reforms
  A FosteringConnections.org brief about the trends in adoption as of FY2009.
• Adoption Tax Credit Brochure
  This brochure includes information about the adoption tax credit available through Fostering Connections.

For a full list of Adoption Resources, see here.