Reducing Time in Care

An estimated 20 percent of children in the U.S. foster care system have been trapped in the system for more than three years, with many languishing for most of their childhoods. Children should not grow up in foster care. We require enforcement of the 15-of-22-month rule, with which no state is currently in full compliance.

Key Points

Right to an Attorney: We secure a child’s right to an attorney, a reform proven to help children exit foster care for families up to 3.5 times faster.

Waiting for a family: 70,500 children are waiting to be adopted.

Events & Testimonies

  • Smiling child with curly hair wearing a colorful sweater, representing hope and joy in child welfare advocacy.

    Testimony: Suppose House Bill 2313

    Establishes requirements for relative search, including documentation requirements. DCS is required to provide notice by certified mail to adult relatives and persons with a significant relationship with a child who [...]

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Op-Eds

  • Close-up of a child's profile, emphasizing the eye and facial features, representing themes of child welfare and advocacy for abused children.

    America’s Flood of Opioid Orphans

    Read more here.

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  • Family group wearing red sweatshirts with playful slogans, seated outdoors among colorful flowers, representing themes of community and support for child welfare.

    Darcy Olsen: Don’t let vulnerable children linger in foster care

    Read more here.

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Research & Reports

  • Child smiling and embracing an adult, symbolizing warmth and connection, relevant to child welfare and permanency themes.

    Permanency Project

    Problem Nationally, over 90% of children in foster care leave the child welfare system via reunification with biological parents, guardianship, kinship placements, or adoption.1 The remaining children – approximately 9% [...]

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Resources & Tools

Podcasts & Audio

Television & Video

Model Reforms