Foster Care, Reunification, and Adoption
This chapter examines foster care, family reunification, and adoption. Foster care is an extreme intervention for maltreated children who cannot remain safely at home. During placement, a child welfare professional coordinates services with the goal of reunifying the family. If this goal cannot be achieved in a specified period (eighteen months in most states, but twelve months in California), the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 mandates the implementation of an alternative permanent plan — specifically adoption, guardianship, or long-term foster care. Foster care performance indicators are discussed. A summary of key findings and recommendations regarding foster care, reunification, and adoption is presented at the end of the chapter.
Keywords: child welfare, child services, foster care performance, adoption, guardianship
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