This article discusses the reasonable efforts clause of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. Through focus group research, we found that reasonable efforts require careful assessment of six areas related to capacities for adequate parenting: 1) whether the family's basic needs are met 2) how parents manage issues related to mental illness and chemical dependency, 3) whether parents take immediate and decisive steps to ensure children's safety, 4) whether services provided are culturally competent and adequate to the parents' needs, 5) whether parents respond adequately to adequate services, and 6) parental capacity for caring for children who have special needs.

From these six areas of concern, we developed a rating scale intended to help practitioners make careful assessments of the reasonableness of their efforts to bring about family reunification.