Discusses the major challenges faced by the child welfare system and offers policy and practice recommendations to improve how children and families experience foster care. The chapter describes the multiple systems that intersect and interact to create a safety net for children who cannot remain with their birth parents; examines the role of the courts and court-appointed special advocates; outlines reforms under the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997; and discusses the developmental and health care needs of children in foster care. Child welfare agencies should ensure that all children in foster care receive ongoing health assessments; enhance their cultural competency by recruiting bilingual and culturally proficient workers and foster families; improve services to birth families by building partnerships with community-based organizations and integrating family-focused models into child welfare practices; continue to support families following a permanent placement to promote children’s well-being after exiting the system; and collaborate with courts to build relationships among judges, caseworkers, and children and families in foster care. In addition, states should quantitatively measure how well the health and educational needs of foster children are being met, and they should ensure that adequate investments are made to implement fully their performance-improvement plans.
