Clinton's Adoption Incentives

WASHINGTON, D.C: President Clinton is considering a $21 million federal program to encourage more families to adopt children. Under the program, states would receive $10 million for "technical assistance" in finding children a permanent home, $10 million for identifying "barriers" to adoption and developing new foster care policies, plus $1 million toward creating public awareness campaigns on adoption. The funds will be provided by turning federal subsidies for foster care into "bonuses" for states, a Health and Human Services Department official told Congress Thursday. The White House is also advocating that children remain in foster care no longer than a year, rather than the current 18 months, before a hearing is held on their status. The Administration hopes to move 54,000 children out of foster care and into permanent homes with adopted parents by 2002. A cheaper option, though, might steal the glory from the White House. Representatives Dave Camp and Barbara Kennelly are proposing a similar plan with the added bonus of a provision to locate fathers whose parental rights are being terminated. The advantage for a budget-minded Congress? Unlike Clinton's approach, it's completely free.