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  • Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-351)

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-351)

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (H.R. 6893) (the FCA or Fostering Connections Act) was signed into law on October 7, 2008, as Public Law 110-351. FCA amended parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act to connect and support relative caregivers, improve outcomes for children in foster care, provide for Tribal foster care and adoption access, improve incentives for adoption, and for other purposes.) was signed into law on October 7, 2008. This page features implementation guidance from the Children's Bureau, an overview of the law, implementation information from States and Tribes, and additional resources.

  • Implementation guidance and law overview
  • Implementation information and State examples
  • Tribal implementation and resources
  • Resources from the Children's Bureau's Capacity Building Collaborative and National Resource Centers

Implementation guidance and law overview

Compilation of Titles IV-B, IV-E, and Related Sections of the Social Security Act
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2014)
Offers a compilation of the sections of the Social Security Act related to various child welfare programs, including titles IV-B and IV-E and the Fostering Connections Act.

ED and HHS Letter to Chief State School Officers and Child Welfare Directors on Implementing the Fostering Connections Act, May 30, 2014 (MS Word - 106 KB)
Delisle & Greenberg (2014)
U.S. Department of Education & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
Provides information about resources and guidance designed to support educators, child welfare professionals, and others in their work to improve educational outcomes and well-being for students in foster care. This joint letter reminds State educational agencies and State child welfare agencies (SCWAs) that SCWAs and local educational agencies are obligated to coordinate efforts to ensure the educational stability of students in foster care under the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. The letter also urges child welfare and education agencies to work together this summer to develop policies and procedures that will ensure both educational stability and the appropriate school enrollment in the upcoming school year of all school-aged children who are in foster care.

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-351) (PDF - 203 KB)
U.S. Government Printing Office (2008)
Provides the full text of the Fostering Connections Act.

Implementation of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008: Working Document
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2013)
Provides access to Children's Bureau policy, guidance, and other implementation activities related to the Fostering Connections Act, including all Program Instructions, Information Memoranda, grant information, relevant Child Welfare Policy Manual Q/As, etc.

Major Provisions of the Act (PDF - 392 KB)
Child Welfare Information Gateway (2015)
In Major Federal Legislation Concerned With Child Protection, Child Welfare, and Adoption
Describes in brief the major provisions of the Fostering Connections Act. Also available in Spanish.

Students in Foster Care
U.S. Department of Education
Provides information on relevant laws, guidance, and technical assistance materials related to educational support for students in foster care.

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Implementation information and State examples

California Fostering Connections to Success
Shares information and resources about the California Fostering Connections to Success Act with the aim of ensuring that extended foster care is implemented in a manner that improves outcomes for young people and offers them the opportunity to thrive in young adulthood. The project also offers technical assistance and training, policy analysis and development, and coalition building and advocacy.

Judicial Guide to Implementing the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (PL 110-351) (PDF - 703 KB)
Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center, Casey Family Programs, American Bar Association (ABA) Center on Children and the Law, Generations United, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, & National Center for State Courts (2011)
Provides an overview of the law, judicial considerations for successful implementation, questions to ask from the bench to help ensure compliance with the law and best practice, and resources from national experts to direct further reflection and analysis.

Making it Work: Using the Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) to Close the Permanency Gap for Children in Foster Care (PDF - 1,734 KB)
Allen, Sprow, Jordan, & Fletcher (2012)
Children's Defense Fund, Child Trends, ABA Center on Children and the Law, Casey Family Programs, Child Focus, & Generations United
Highlights the work and leadership of the 29 State child welfare agencies, the District of Columbia, and the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe that are operating GAP. This report examines challenges faced in implementing GAP, stakeholder involvement, lessons learned, and suggestions to States that have not yet applied for GAP funds or are in the early stages of GAP implementation.

Perspectives on Fostering Connections: A Series of White Papers on the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (PDF - 1,465 KB)
The FosteringConnections.org Project (2013)
Provides an update on the implementation of the Fostering Connections Act, including summaries of achievements and challenges associated with each of the six issue areas of the act: incentives and assistance for adoption, improved educational stability and opportunities, coordinated health services, support for kinship care and family connections, support for older youth, and direct access to Federal resources for Indian Tribes.

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Tribal implementation and resources

Capacity Building Center for Tribes
Collaborates with American Indian and Alaska Native nations to help strengthen Tribal child and family systems and services in order to nurture the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, youth, and families. The Center for Tribes works closely with the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative to provide an array of services including coaching, peer networking, distance learning, consultation, dissemination, product development, and capacity-building assistance.

Role of Judges in Implementing Fostering Connections: Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Access Provisions

Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center.

ABA Child Law Practice, , 3, (32, )

View Abstract

Provides a brief overview of the provisions for Native American Tribes in the Fostering Connections Act, as well as general judicial considerations for implementation and questions to ask from the bench to help ensure compliance with the law and best practice.

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Resources from the Children's Bureau's Capacity Building Collaborative and National Resource Centers

Capacity Building Center for Tribes
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau
Collaborates with American Indian and Alaska Native nations to help strengthen Tribal child and family systems and services in order to nurture the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, youth, and families. The Center for Tribes works closely with the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative to provide an array of services including coaching, peer networking, distance learning, consultation, dissemination, product development, and capacity-building assistance.

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Browse Children's Bureau Express for related articles

Spotlight On

Implementation of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008: Working Document

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau

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Extending Out-of-Home Care for Youth Past Age 18

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