ASFA (Adoption and Safe Families Act)

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), enacted in 1997, aims to prioritize children's safety and well-being in child welfare cases. It encourages timely efforts to reunify children with their birth families while ensuring their safety, and if reunification isn't possible, it promotes finding permanent, stable homes through adoption or guardianship. ASFA sets specific time limits for case progress, emphasizes the child's best interests, and supports services that help families stay together whenever safe. Overall, it balances protecting children with promoting permanency and stability in their lives.