Foster Care: States Focusing on Finding Permanent Homes for Children, but Long-Standing Barriers Remain

GAO-03-626T GAO Testimony Foster Care: States Focusing on Finding Permanent Homes for Children, but Long-Standing Barriers Remain Statement of Cornelia M. Ashby, Director Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues ASFAs goal was to increase permanent placements, such as adoption, for children in foster care, but determining ASFAs impact is difficult. The annual number of adoptions have increased by 57 percent from the time ASFA was enacted through fiscal year 2000; however, the lack of comparable pre- and post-ASFA data make it difficult to determine ASFAs role in this increase. In addition, states have improved their foster . . .