Vol. 15, No. 1 • November 2010

Fostering Connections: A Law Foster Parents Should Know About

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 became federal law on October 7, 2008. Many experts consider it to be the most significant child welfare reform in over a decade. In state legislatures across the country, over 97 bills have passed or are pending as states work to comply with the law’s many provisions (FCNRC, n.d).

Fostering Connections will lead to changes in the way that state, local, and tribal child welfare agencies work towards health and education outcomes, family reunification, adoption, and independent living skills for children and youth in care.

The table below lists the six major policy areas of the law, some of the major provisions of each one, and North Carolina’s response to date. For additional information on Fostering Connections, visit the Fostering Connections Resource Center website at www.fosteringconnections.org.

Copyright � 2010 Jordan Institute for Families