Adoption incentive awards released to states

October 5, 2015

Nearly $18 million in adoption incentive payments were awarded to child welfare agencies in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

HHS’ Administration for Children and Families released the funding under the Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments program.  The program recognizes improved state performance in helping children and youth in foster care find permanent homes through adoption and legal guardianship.

The program has been modified and extended several times since then.  Most recently, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, signed into law last year, reauthorized and revised the program.  

Incentive payments awarded this year are based on state performance in federal fiscal year 2014.  

 

Quick Facts

  • The Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments program (formerly called the Adoption Incentive Payments program) was originally established as part of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997.
  • Among other changes, the law authorized incentive payments for states that demonstrate improvements in finding permanent homes for children through legal guardianship, as well as adoption.
  • Award decisions are also made on the basis of increases in adoptions from foster care, increases in legal guardianships and increases in permanency (through either adoption or guardianship) for both pre-adolescent youth and youth ages 14 and older.

Quotes

“We are very pleased that, for the first time, we are able to award incentives to states that recognize the important role that relatives play in providing permanency for children through legal guardianship."
— Rafael López, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families
“All children need stable, permanent, loving homes."
— Rafael López, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families
“When children and youth in foster care cannot be safely reunified with their own parents, it is important we assist them to achieve permanent family connections through adoption or legal guardianship.”
— Rafael López, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families

Contact

Administration for Children & Families
Office of Communications
330 C Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

Phone: (202) 401-9215
Fax: (202) 205-9688
Email: media@acf.hhs.gov

Program Office: