The Adoption and Family Safe Act ( ASFA , Public Law 105-89) was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on November 19, 1997, after being approved by United States Congress at the beginning of the month.
Video Adoption and Safe Families Act
Backgrounds and sections
ASFA is applied in an effort to correct the inherent problems in the fostering system that hinder the adoption of children with special needs. Much of the problem comes from the previous Bill, the Adoption of Child Help and Welfare Act of 1980, although they have not been anticipated when the law was passed, because the state decided to interpret the law that requires biological families to stay together no matter what. The biggest change to the law is how ASFA changed Title IV-E of the Social Security Act regarding funding.
In addition, ASFA marks a fundamental shift in child welfare thinking, shifting the emphasis on health and safety issues of children and away from the policy of uniting children with their biological parents regardless of previous cruelty. As such, ASFA is regarded as the greatest change in US adoption and care systems in decades. One of the main sponsors of ASFA, Republican Senator John H. Chafee of Rhode Island, said, "We will not continue the current system of always putting the needs and rights of biological parents first.... It's time we realized that some families only can not and should not be put together. "
The idea for this bill comes from the Democratic and Republican Party. First Lady of the United States Hillary Clinton initially voiced her interest in the issue of orphaned children in an article she wrote in 1995. She then held public events to bring out the issues, and met with officials of the US Department of Health and Human Services and private foundations executives on policy questions and recommendations. He cites the Act as an achievement that he begins and shepherded which gives him the greatest satisfaction. The bill begins in Congress with bipartisan support, then becomes a debate over issues of termination of parental rights for children and the level of funding for programs to prevent children out of care. Hillary Clinton played a key role in finding a compromise between Republicans and Democrats on the last issue after the first negotiations failed.
In welcoming the latest move, Bill Clinton stated that the bill "makes clear that the health and safety of children is the most important concern."
Maps Adoption and Safe Families Act
Key terms and tactics
The main provisions of the law include:
- Require countries to end custody of children who have been in Foster Care for 15 of the last 22 months
- Exceptions to rule 15/22 include:
- When the child is at Foster's House with a biological relative (Kinship Care)
- When the Agency documents a compelling reason why the termination of a parent is not for the best interests of the Child
- When Country fails to provide the services needed for reunification
- Requires that the Permanent Hearing be held every 12 months
- Clarify cases where the State is not required to reunite the Family (Poor State)
- Expand family preservation and support services
- Extend subsidies for adopted children
- Providing incentives for States to increase adoption rate
- Needs a state to document efforts to move children toward adoption
- Expand the range of health services for adoptive children
- Provide funding to drive adoption
- Clarification that the interstate boundaries should not delay adoption.
Impact
The law requires states to comply with it in order to continue receiving federal funds for the welfare of children. Therefore, each country must pass a law compatible with ASFA; in practice, the legislative act varies greatly. As a result, some countries rely on three more exceptions in the law as part of the reunification emphasis, while other countries have emphasized adoption.
See also
- Adoption 2002
- Uniform Adoption Act
References
External links
- Full text of Adoption and Family Safe Act
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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