The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) was passed in 1997 to keep children from languishing in foster care, but today this law gives state agencies a cash bonus for breaking up families. How did we get here, and what can we do to give families that encounter social services a fighting chance to stay together? 

This week, we talk again with Dr. Martin Guggenheim of the NYU School of Law. Marty tells us about how ASFA creates a ticking clock for families caught in the CPS system, and how he’s working to help reform this law. He also explains why it is usually in the best interest of children to reunite with their parents, rather than finding permanency in foster care. 

Support the show