[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 51 (Monday, December 23, 1996)]
[Pages 2513-2514]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Adoption and Alternate Permanent Placement of Children in 
the Public Child Welfare System

December 14, 1996

Memorandum for the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary 
of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Commerce, the 
Director of the Office of Personnel Management

Subject: Steps to Increase Adoptions and Alternate Permanent Placement 
for Waiting Children in the Public Child Welfare System

    During this Holiday Season, as we reflect on the importance of 
family in our own lives, let us remember the tens of thousands of our 
Nation's children in the public child welfare system who live without 
permanent and caring families. Foster care provides temporary shelter 
and relief for children who have been abused or neglected.
    I am committed to giving the children waiting in our Nation's foster 
care system what every child in America deserves--loving parents and a 
healthy, stable home. The goal for every child in our Nation's public 
welfare system is permanency in a safe and stable home, whether it be 
returning home, adoption, legal guardianship, or another permanent 
placement. While the great majority of children in foster care will 
return home, for about one in five, returning home is not an option, and 
they will need another home, one that is caring and safe. These children 
wait far too long--typically over 3 years, but for many children much 
longer--to be placed in permanent homes. Each year, State child welfare 
agencies secure homes for less than one-third of the children whose goal 
is adoption or an alternate permanent placement. I know we can do 
better.
    I believe we should increase the number of children who are adopted 
or permanently placed from the public foster care system each year 
toward the goal of at least doubling that number by the year 2002. 
Returning home is not an option for about 100,000 of the over 450,000 
children in the Nation's foster care system, yet only approximately 
20,000 were adopted last year and approximately 7,000 were permanently 
placed in legal guardianships. While the number of adoptions each year 
has been constant for many years, I believe that by working with States 
to identify and break down barriers to permanent placements, setting 
annual numerical targets, rewarding successful performance, and raising 
public awareness, we can meet the target of at least 54,000 children 
adopted or permanently placed from the public foster care system by the 
year 2002.
    Today, therefore, I direct the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, in consultation with State and civic leaders, to report to me 
within 60 days on actions to be taken to move children more rapidly from 
foster care to permanent homes and at least to double, by the year 2002, 
the number of children in foster care who are adopted or permanently 
placed out of the public foster care system.
I.          To increase the number of children who are adopted or 
            permanently placed each year, this report should include, 
            but should not necessarily be limited to, recommendations in 
            the following areas:
(a)         Plans to work with States on setting and reaching State 
            specific numerical targets, using the technical assistance 
            of the Department of Health and Human Services National 
            Resource Centers to make information on best practices 
            available to States and to engage community leaders, 
            parents, and the business and faith communities;
(b)         Proposals to provide per child financial incentives to 
            States for increases in the number of adoptions from the 
            public welfare system. Options considered should have little 
            to no net costs, as increases in the number of adoptions 
            from the public system will reduce foster care costs, 
            thereby off

[[Page 2514]]

            setting much if not all of the incentive payments;
(c)         A proposal to ensure continued aggressive implementation of 
            the Multi-ethnic Placement Act, as amended by the Inter-
            ethnic Adoption Provision of the Small Business Job 
            Protection Act;

(d)         Plans to compile and publish an annual State-by-State report 
            on success in meeting the numerical targets; and

(e)         Plans to recognize successful States.

II.         To move children more rapidly from foster care to permanent 
            homes, the report shall also recommend changes to Federal 
            law and regulations and other actions needed to emphasize 
            the importance of planning for permanency as soon as a child 
            enters the foster care system. The Secretary's report should 
            include, but should not necessarily be limited to, 
            recommendations in the following areas:

(a)         Plans to provide States with funding to identify barriers to 
            permanency and to develop targeted strategies to find 
            permanent homes for children who have been in foster care a 
            particularly long time;

(b)         Proposals to shorten the period of time between a child's 
            placement in foster care and his or her initial hearing at 
            which a permanency determination is made;

(c)         A proposal to clarify that the purpose of ``dispositional 
            hearings'' is to plan for permanency and, as appropriate, to 
            consider referrals for family mediation, termination of 
            parental rights, adoption, legal guardianship, or other 
            permanent placements;

(d)         A proposal to clarify the ``reasonable efforts'' requirement 
            and other Federal policy as it relates to permanency and 
            safety;

(e)         Plans to ensure that States give appropriate weight to 
            permanency planning by establishing standards for securing 
            permanency through adoption or guardianship, once a decision 
            has been made that a child cannot be returned home; and
(f)         Plans to examine alternative permanency arrangements, such 
            as guardianship, when adoption is not possible.
    Last month, I signed a proclamation designating November as National 
Adoption Month--a time to increase awareness about the tens of thousands 
of children waiting for families and to encourage all Americans to 
consider the rewards and responsibilities of adoption. However, adoption 
must be a national concern throughout the year. Therefore, I direct:
(a)         The Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and 
            lead a public awareness effort including use of public 
            service announcements, print materials, and the Internet;
(b)         The Secretaries of Health and Human Services and the 
            Treasury in consultation with State, civic, and private 
            sector leaders to develop and disseminate information about 
            the new adoption tax credits and other adoption benefits;
(c)         The Secretaries of Labor and Commerce, in consultation with 
            State and civic leaders, to identify and recognize companies 
            in the private sector with model policies to encourage and 
            ease adoption among employees; and
(d)         The Director of the Office of Personnel Management to direct 
            all Federal agencies to provide information and support to 
            Federal employees who are prospective adoptive parents.
                                            William J. Clinton