Riverside County Grand Jury
• 1997-1998
The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 6 findings
F1
The “adoption incentives” portion of ASFA is not aimed at taking children from their biological parents, but is specifically directed at facilitating the removal of children from the foster care system and placing them into adoptive homes.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
California Assembly Bill 2773 states that “any incentive payment received through implementation of the federal act (ASFA) must be reinvested into the child welfare system in order to provide increased post-adoptive services, as needed, to families who have adopted children from the foster care system.” 1
No recommendations for this finding
F3
The 2001-02 Grand Jury has found through interviews and newspaper and internet articles that there is a public misconception that Child Protection Departments, nationwide, receive bonuses for removing children from their biological parents and rushing them into adoption.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Set policy standards throughout the regions of the county to prevent misunderstandings when dealing with parents and relatives while moving children within the foster care and adoption system. 2
F4
A June 11, 2002 letter to the Grand Jury from a Department of Child Protective Services program manager states in part, “Social workers do not now and have never in the past received case-related bonuses. Social Workers receive no monetary incentive for placing children in adoptive homes."
No recommendations for this finding
F5
Based on numerous interviews of Riverside County Child Protective Services Social Workers, the Grand Jury also found that very few of the workers interviewed had sufficient knowledge of the federal, state, and local funding laws and ordinances to help dispel this “bonus” misconception.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1
Immediately begin educating and training County Social Workers on a regular basis regarding federal, state, and county laws, rules, and regulations of The Federal Adoption and Safe Families Act.
R2
Set policy standards throughout the regions of the county to prevent misunderstandings when dealing with parents and relatives while moving children within the foster care and adoption system. 2
F6
A Federal General Accounting Office study reports that, “Many States have begun to train staff on the legal and policy changes necessitated by ASFA” (February 2000).
No recommendations for this finding