Thousands of children age out of foster care every year, ASFA was meant to change that. Here's what you need to know.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO:

• What ASFA is and why Congress passed it in 1997
• How ASFA shifted focus from reunification to child safety
• The 15-of-22-month rule and what it means for families
• Grounds for terminating parental rights under ASFA
• Criticisms and unintended consequences of the law
• How ASFA continues to shape child welfare policy today

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), signed into law in 1997, fundamentally transformed the U.S. child welfare system. Before ASFA, the system prioritized keeping biological families together, sometimes at the expense of a child's safety. ASFA rebalanced that approach by setting firm timelines for permanency decisions. Under the law, if a child has been in foster care for 15 of the previous 22 months, states are generally required to file for termination of parental rights and seek adoptive placement. 

ASFA also defined specific "aggravated circumstances", such as murder or severe abuse of a sibling, that allow states to bypass traditional reunification efforts entirely. While proponents credit ASFA with increasing adoptions and reducing long-term foster care drift, critics argue the law's strict timelines fail to account for systemic barriers like poverty, housing instability, and lack of access to services, disproportionately impacting families of color. Understanding ASFA is essential for foster parents, social workers, attorneys, advocates, and anyone touched by the child welfare system.

Learn more about ASFA The Adoption and Safe Families Act by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/02/23/asfa-the-adoption-and-safe-families-act/

Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.org

https://www.youtube.com/@KidlawACNJ