South Carolina Law

There is a new law which hopes to improve the adoption process in South Carolina. The improvements will come in two ways: (1) Time limits will be in place that will allow foster families to adopt children more quickly and, (2) It will put less emphasis on keeping birth families together, in cases where the parents are substance abusers or mentally ill. (Full details here)

Do you think these actions will result in more adoptions of children in the foster care system? What other measures can we take?

Florida Ban Repealed

You may have missed this in the run-up to Thanksgiving, but last week a Miami judge approved the adoption of two children by the parent who has been fostering them, who happens to be gay.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederm ruled the ban on adoptions by gay people unconstitutional. Thus bringing down a 31-year old law.

While this matter may still go to the Florida Supreme Court, we applaud this first step.
To read more, click here.

Nebraska's Child Safe Haven Law

An update on a story we've written about in the past.

From the New York Times:
Nebraska Revises Child Safe Haven Law
By ERIK ECKHOLM

Published: November 21, 2008

Omaha — In an emergency session, the Nebraska legislature on Friday revised a law permitting parents or guardians to hand children over to state custody without fear of prosecution, limiting its reach to infants up to 30 days old.

Gov. Dave Heineman, a Republican, is expected to sign the bill Friday afternoon, It will go into effect at 12:01 Saturday morning.

Full Article

Legislative Action

The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, September 10 to consider the Chairman's Mark of the Improved Adoption Incentives and Relative Guardianship Support Act (S. 3038), which includes important improvements for children and youth in foster care. The Center has supported this piece of legislation and we ask you to also.

What does the new legislation call for?

• Extending and Improving Adoption Incentives - continuation of current state-incentive program with new emphasis on special needs adoptions.


• Increasing Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Access - tribes would be able to receive funding directly to provide foster care services within the tribal community.


• Keeping More Kids with Relative Guardians - Permanent placements with relatives would be encouraged through both relaxing the home-study rules for kin adopters and by providing adoption subsidy to relatives who become permanent guardians of kin.


• Supporting Older Children in Foster Care - States would be required to assist youths transitioning out of the foster care system, even after their 18th birthday, in finding housing, employment, education and medical coverage.


• Helping Caregivers Reach support and resources - Programs would be set up to assist relatives who are permanent guardians find the support and resources already in place for them.

The committee mark-up will take place at 10:00 am in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 215. Please call or email your local senator and voice your support of this bill.