Contact your state senator now if you have special needs children through foster care adoption, kinship care, guardianship, or tribal foster care. If you plan to adopt or parent children through any of these avenues, then contact your state senator. Send an urgent email or call by September 10. September 10 is when the Senate is scheduled to act on key child welfare legislation. NACAC (North American Council on Adoptable Children) is encouraging everyone to contact their state Senators to ask them to support S. 3038.

S. 3038 is one of the key bills pending in Congress. “Improved Adoption Incentives and Relative Guardianship Support Act” Here is what NACAC says S. 3038 will do for families parenting special needs children.

 reauthorize and expand the adoption incentive program

make all foster children with special needs eligible for federal adoption assistance (de-linking from old AFDC income standards)

create a federal subsidized guardianship program to support relatives who become guardians so that their kin can permanently leave care

 

Here is some of the information given on the NACAC website. You should read it all if this describes any of your children or potential children.

“On June 24, the bi-partisan Fostering Connections to Success Act (H.R. 6307) passed in the House of Representatives. The bill would promote permanency for foster children in several ways.

Reauthorize and expand the adoption incentive program (due to expire in September)

enable states to receive federal Title IV-E funds for subsidized guardianship payments made on behalf of children who leave foster care permanently to live with relatives

extend, at state option, adoption assistance and foster care maintenance up to age 21

promote the adoption tax credit, encourage placement of siblings together, and seek educational and health continuity for foster youth

provide tribes with direct access to Title IV-E funding to help children and families in their care

expand access to Title IV-E training funds “

• Ask your Senators to sign on to co-sponsors S. 3038

  Other key bills pending in the current U.S. Congress that NACAC wants you to support.

   

  Adoption Equality Act (H.R. 4091/S. 1462)

  Improved Adoption Incentives and Relative Guardianship Support Act of 2008 (S. 3038)

  Fostering Connections to Success Act (H.R. 6307)

  Kinship Caregiver Support Act of 2007(H.R. 2188/S. 661)

  Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Act of 2007(H.R. 4688/S. 1956)

   

   

  Visit the NACAC policy blog that focuses on U.S. foster care system reform. (Reform Foster Care Now)