IN SEARCH OF PERMANENCY

President Clinton signed the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) into law on November 19, 1997. ASFA is designed to prevent children in foster care from being returned to unsafe homes and to find safe homes for children who are not able to return to their families. Some critics say that ASFA is too extensive and intrusive; others feel it does not go far enough. The author focuses on the practical issues of what ASFA has done so far and how various communities can still use it to ameliorate some of their child welfare problems. She begins with the history of child welfare in the United States, followed by an extensive discussion of ASFA's provisions. The author then addresses criticisms of some of ASFA's key components. A discussion of the ways the states have implemented ASFA follows. The author concludes that ASFA could be a powerful and important tool in aiding the child welfare system.