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Date: Friday, February 14, 1997
FACT SHEET
Contact:  ACF Press Office  (202) 401-9215

President Clinton announced today that he will move forward with ambitious legislative and administrative changes to move children more rapidly from foster care to safe, permanent homes. The recommendations are included in a report submitted to the President today by the Department of Health and Human Services, in response to a Presidential directive signed by President Clinton on December 14. The report, entitled "Adoption 2002," takes its name from the President's goal to at least double by the year 2002, the number of children adopted or permanently placed each year.

"Adoption 2002" outlines a new action plan to help states set and meet urgent new adoption targets. To help states meet these goals the report presents several important actions. Key among these actions is our commitment to clarify reasonable efforts. We will also offer sensible financial incentives to states to increase adoptions and permanent placements; and provide technical assistance to states, courts and communities to move children more rapidly from foster care to permanent homes. In developing the report, HHS conducted an extensive consultation process with leaders in Congress, states, child welfare organizations, child welfare experts, civic leaders and hundreds of foster and adoptive parents.

Specifically, the recommended actions to accomplish the President's goal include:

I. Doubling the Number of Children Adopted or Permanently Placed by 2002:

Creates Incentives for States: To focus on successful outcomes for children, HHS will work with states to set specific numerical targets leading to doubling by the year 2002, the number of children adopted or permanently placed each year. To assist states in reaching their targets, the President's budget proposal includes $10 million for technical assistance and grants to state agencies, courts and communities to help them develop: an outcome-based approach to permanency placement; collaborative efforts to encourage placements across geographical boundaries; and models to recruit adoptive families.

To encourage and reward states for their efforts, the Clinton Administration will propose legislation to offer a new financial per-child bonuses to states that increase the number of adoptions from the public child welfare system. The bonuses will pay for themselves, as bonus payments are offset by savings in foster care. HHS will publish annual reports on the progress states are making toward their adoption targets and will work with foundations and intergovernmental organizations to promote public annual recognition awards to states for successful, innovative accomplishments.

Breaks Down Racial and Ethnic Barriers to Adoption: HHS will issue guidance that outlines appropriate implementation of and strict penalties for non-compliance with the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA), as amended by the Interethnic Adoption provisions (IEP) of the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996. HHS also will provide technical assistance to states to ensure that states comply with these laws. HHS will continue its aggressive implementation of MEPA which prohibits adoption agencies from denying or delaying placement of a waiting child based on race, color, or national origin.

II. Moving Children More Rapidly From Foster Care to Permanent Homes:

Clarifies Reasonable Efforts: Under existing law, states are required to make "reasonable efforts" to both prevent the unnecessary removal of children from their families and to reunify children who have been placed in foster care with their natural families. HHS will issue guidance and work with Congress to seek legislation that changes federal law to clarify the "reasonable efforts" provision: to explicitly include the health and safety of the child as the first priority in determining whether a child should be removed from his or her home; and to introduce for the first time a new standard that "reasonable efforts" be made by states to secure permanent homes for children in foster care who cannot return safely to their homes and for whom adoption is the goal.

Decreases Procedural Delays: To speed up the process of reviewing a child's status in foster care, HHS will propose to change the federal law to require that a court hearing be held no later than 12 months after a child enters the foster care system. Current law requires that a court hearing be held within 18 months after a child's placement in foster care. HHS also will propose to change the title of that hearing from "dispositional hearing" to "permanency planning hearing" to encourage the focus of deliberations for the child to be on a finding a permanent, safe home.

Helps States Identify and Address Barriers to Permanency: To encourage and support states to identify and overcome the barriers to permanent placements for children in foster care, the President's budget proposal includes $10 million for HHS to establish competitive grants to up to 15 states to develop model strategies to reform permanency planning and adoption services.

HHS Also Approves Ohio's Child Welfare Demonstration Project: Today President Clinton announced approval of Ohio's innovative managed care demonstration project, the fifth child protection waiver granted by the Clinton Administration. Under existing law, HHS has the authority to conduct demonstrations using waivers to as many as 10 states. HHS will propose a change in federal law to expand the department's authority to grant additional child protection waivers to test alternative permanency arrangements and other innovations.