Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act

The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 is a law that aims to protect children in foster care by ensuring their safety, well-being, and timely placement into permanent homes. It emphasizes the importance of prioritizing family reunification whenever possible and mandates that states develop plans to prevent unnecessary foster care and promote permanency through adoption or guardianship when reunification isn’t achievable. The law also requires ongoing assessments of each child's needs and involves a coordinated system of service providers to support children's stability and long-term success in a permanent family setting.