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The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the 2024 annual Adoption Excellence Awards recipients.  

Today, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced newly released Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data. 

HHS Announces Proposed Rule Requiring States to Collect Additional Information on American Indian/Alaska Native Youth Entering the Foster Care System or Adoption Process

Additional Data Will Provide a Better Understanding of American Indian/Alaska Native Children Interacting with the State Child Welfare Systems
February 22, 2024

The Children's Bureau's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would require that state child welfare agencies collect and report data elements on: (1) whether the state inquired with named entities as to whether the child is an Indian child as defined in ICWA and when the agency first discovered information indicating that the child is or may be an Indian child as defined in ICWA; (2) information on court determinations that ICWA applies for the child, and whether the testimony of one or more qualified expert witnesses was included for voluntary and involuntary terminations of parental

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced the 2023 recipients of the annual adoption excellence awards.

Assistant Secretary Contreras recaps the work of ACF and its partners during the month of November.

We know that every youth is different and that there is no “one” path to permanency. With high caseloads and unique barriers for every child, it can be difficult for caseworkers to see the path forward. 

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the 2022 recipients of the annual Adoption Excellence Awards today. This year’s awardees were honored at an event in the Hubert H. Humphrey Building’s Great Hall , featuring HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, ACF Assistant Secretary January Contreras, and ACF Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau Aysha E. Schomburg.

National foster care and adoption data released today show the number of children entering foster care has decreased for the fourth consecutive year, and the number of children adopted from foster care decreased for the second consecutive year. We continue to encourage safe family reunification, with over half the children who exit foster care being placed with family members.

The Children’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published the FY 2020 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). The newly released data indicates the number of children in foster care decreased for the third consecutive year, to an estimated 407,000 at the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. The number of children waiting to be adopted also fell in FY 2020 to 117,000. The FY 2020’s decrease is more than double that of FY 2019’s decrease, 1.8 percent and 4.7 percent respectively.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced actions to further civil rights and equal opportunity for all people, irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion. HHS through OCR and ACF reestablished its commitment to furthering nondiscrimination and upholding the law by rescinding inappropriate, overly broad waivers issued by the prior Administration.