Of Note

More Information

• Potential Policy Gaps in Parental Child Safety Placements
• Implementing the Permanent Care Assistance Program
• New Analysis Anticipates Child Poverty Increase

• The State of Texas Children 2009-10
• Hard Times for Food Hardship in U.S., Texas
• Why CPPP Supports Congress' Health Reform Bills and What You Can Do to Make the Final Bill Better

New Federal Foster Care Legislation: What It Means for Texas

On October 7, 2008, the President signed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (H.R. 6893). The act overhauls the federal child welfare structure for the first time since the Adoptions and Safe Families Act in 1997. The law contains new requirements, changes federal financing for adoptions, and provides additional financial assistance for various optional programs. For Texas, none of the changes require new legislation, though the state must appropriate additional funding to fully benefit from the provisions of the new act. This policy paper discusses provisions of the federal legislation and the potential for helping Texas children.