When it comes to adoptions from foster care, North Carolina has come a long way. In 1990, just 126 children were adopted from foster care in our state (ACF, 2001). In 2009, there were 1,722 (USDHHS, 2011).
This change in outcomes is due in part to the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 and other federal laws, which emphasize achieving timely permanence for children. But it is also due to the dedication of our state’s child welfare professionals. Moved by the conviction that no child is unadoptable, they have overcome barriers and worked tirelessly so that no child grows up in foster care.
While we should be proud of this achievement, there’s no time for complacency. Right now there are hundreds of children who are legally free and waiting for adoptive families in North Carolina.
This issue of Practice Notes seeks to support you and your agency as you work to ensure every child has a family.
Contents of this Issue
