Accelerating Safe Placements: New Law Streamlines Foster Child Placement Process

Abbe Fritz and her husband adopted two siblings from the child welfare system, an experience that lasted three years. On average, children spend more than a year in the child welfare system, but it's closer to three years for children who get adopted.

Fritz said the case dragged on because the biological mother struggled with drugs and had trouble following court-ordered services.

"At times, it’s daunting and unbearable," said Fritz of the experience. "It’s pure hell. It’s constant chaos, fear, emotional trauma and they don’t know what’s going to happen."

A new law, House Enrolled Act 1605, sets up stricter timelines for birth parents.

"It will provide guardrails,” said Fritz. “It will provide more accountability, and it will get kids into a loving home much more quickly."

The law aims to reduce the amount of time children spend in the state’s child welfare system. Under HEA 1605, foster parents and kinship caregivers will be able to file for termination of parental rights.

"Those folks will now have a greater voice in the courtroom and be able to advocate for the child's best interest,” said Braelynn Yerington, founder of the advocacy group Champions for Children."

Opponents raised concerns about protecting the rights of biological parents as well as the potential impact on federal funding for DCS.

"There is a point where we have to move on for the child's sake, for the taxpayer's sake, for the system's sake, which is already overburdened,” said Yerington."

HEA 1605 will also address the state’s fentanyl crisis and the impact on child abuse and neglect.

"If there’s fentanyl in that home, if there’s methamphetamine in that home, then that child is a child in need of services, which means they become a ward of the state,” said Yerington. “It ensures that the state can keep an eye on the situation.”

Abbe Fritz says DCS never filed for termination of parental rights in her children’s case, so she and her husband had to hire a lawyer to file for a contested adoption— a costly, difficult legal process.

"It undoubtedly would have helped our case,” said Fritz. “It does have a provision that would allow foster parents to intervene in a case and have more of a voice. A voice for these kids."

Foster care agencies are working to accelerate safe placements of children with qualified foster parents, thanks to a new law aimed at streamlining the process. The legislation aims to reduce the time it takes for children to find permanent homes.

"The goal is to get these kids out of institutions and into loving homes as quickly as possible," said [Name], director of a local foster care agency.

The new law eliminates unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy, allowing social workers to focus on finding the best fit for each child. This includes identifying potential foster parents and supporting them through the application process.

"This is a huge step forward in terms of streamlining the process," said [Name], executive director of another local agency. "We're excited to see the impact this will have on our community."