Action Center    Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008

On October, 07 2008 the President signed into law the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoption Act of 2008. The bill is a significant recognition of the contribution grandparents and other relatives make in raising the nation’s children.

NEW! Family Connection Grants Announced

The Children's Bureau has announced the first 24 recipients of the Family Connection Grants. Congratulations to all the Family Connection grant award winners. Click here for the all the award winners.

Highlights: The new grant program is expected to award 30 grants worth on average $450,000 for each 12-month period of a 36-month project to eligible applicants. Eligible applicants include, "state, local, or tribal child welfare agencies, and private nonprofit organizations that have experience in working with foster children or children in kinship care arrangements."

The program will fund four program areas, including a dedicated amount of funding specifically for (1) Kinship Navigator Programs.  Other program areas include, (2) Intensive Family-Finding Efforts, (3) Family Group Decision Making, and (4) Residential Family Treatment Programs. 

The full grant announcement from the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) can be viewed here:

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2009-ACF-ACYF-CF-0078.html

The bill will promote permanent families for children by providing: • Authorizes subsidized guardianship to enable children in the care of grandparents and other relatives to exit foster care into permanency • Establishes Kinship navigator programs to help link relative caregivers both inside and outside of the formal child welfare system to a broad range of services and supports that will help them meet the needs of the children in their care • Requires notice be given to adult relatives of a child if he or she is placed in foster care • Allows states in a demonstration program the option to set separate licensing standards for relative foster parents and non-relative foster parents The bill also supports children and families by:   • Extending direct Title IV-E funding to tribal governments • Reauthorizing  the Adoption Incentives Program, a critical tool in helping children become adopted. • Allowing states to receive federal reimbursement for support provided to foster youth up to age 21 • Requiring reasonable efforts to keep siblings together

Summaries of the New Law New Help for Children Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives: Questions and Answers About the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 Click here to download PDF NEW! Top 10 List for Relative Caregivers to Implement Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 Click here to download PDF NEW! Implications for Relative Caregivers (Click here to download PDF) Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 long summary (Click here to download PDF) Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 1 page summary (Click here to download PDF) Text of Fostering Conecctions to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 - Public Law (Click here to download PDF)

Highlighting New Resources 

New Help for Children Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives: Questions and Answers About the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 Click here to download PDF

This document is intended to help ensure full and prompt implementation of the improvements in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act for children being raised by grandparents and other relatives. It was prepared by an informal coalition of organizations, many of whom have been working individually and together for years to support children being raised by grandparents and other relatives. In this guide, the collaborating organizations have answered a number of questions posed to them by persons interested in implementing the new act. The Guide is intended to be useful to those charged with implementing the improvements for children being raised by grandparents and other relatives, as well as others who are advocating for the new improvements and assisting with implementation.

Top 10 List for Relative Caregivers to Implement Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008

This two page guide includes ten helpful steps for relative caregivers, advocates, and child welfare professionals to help successfully implement the new law in your state and community.

Click here to download PDF

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