North Carolina Implementing Child Welfare Overhaul To Speed Reuniting Children & Finding Permanent Placements

On September 1, 2021, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, signed legislation, Senate Bill 693, to improve safety of children in the state’s child welfare system and improve permanency rates. The provisions to improve permanency, whether by reuniting with family or adoption, went into effect on October 1, 2021, and applied to actions filed or pending on and after that date. As of July 31, 2021, 11,526 total unique youth were in foster care. About 90% (10,379 youth) received regular foster care services and 10% (1,147 youth) received extended foster care services.

Previously, county departments social services . . .