Adoption and Safe Families Act

The Adoption and Safe Families Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on November 19 1997, the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 (Public Law 105-89) was enacted by Congress in an attempt to correct problems that were inherent in the foster care system that deterred the adoption of children with special needs. Many of these problems had stemmed from an earlier bill, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, although they had not been anticipated when the law was passed. The biggest change to the law was how ASFA Amended Title IV-E of the Social Security Act regarding funding.