The Clinton Administration Record on Adoption

Our nation has no greater responsibility than to ensure that every child has the chance to live up to his or her God-given potential. We can help meet that challenge by identifying a permanent, loving family for every child waiting in the foster care system.
— President Clinton, National Adoption Month Proclamation, November 1996

President Clinton is committed to giving the over 450,000 children in foster care what every child in America deserves loving parents and a healthy, stable home. The Clinton Administration has taken several important steps to encourage and increase adoptions and to support the families that choose to open their hearts and their homes to these children. The President has championed programs that find and assist adopting families, and has committed his Administration to breaking down barriers, including high adoption costs and complex regulations.

Today the President announced a new directive to the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, Labor and Commerce and the Office of the Personnel Management to develop a plan to: increase the number of children who are adopted or permanently placed each year, move children more rapidly from foster care to permanent homes, and create a new public awareness campaign on the importance of adoption. These actions build on previous initiatives, including:

Making Adoption Affordable For Families
In August, President Clinton signed into law the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 which provides a $5000 tax credit to families adopting children, and a $6000 tax credit for families adopting children with special needs. This policy will alleviate a significant barrier to adoption, helping middle class families for whom adoption may be prohibitively expensive and making it easier for families to adopt children with special needs.

Breaking Down Racial and Ethnic Barriers to Adoption
Strengthening the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act which the President signed in 1994, the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 also ensures that the adoption process is free from discrimination and delays on the basis of race, culture and ethnicity.

Providing Supports For Child Protection and Adoption
In 1993, President Clinton signed into law the Family and Medical Leave Act which enables parents to take time off to adopt a child without losing their jobs or health insurance. In addition, the welfare reform bill that the President signed into law maintains the guarantee of child protection and adoption, and does not reduce funds for child welfare, child abuse, foster care and adoption services.

Giving States Flexibility and Support
The Clinton Administration has granted child protection waivers to Delaware, Illinois, North Carolina, and Oregon, giving the states more flexibility in tailoring services to meet the needs of children and families. Up to six more states will receive approval for waivers. In addition, this administration has provided states with enhanced technical support and helped improve court operations so they can focus on successful outcomes. To prevent children from entering foster care in the first place, in 1993 the Clinton Administration secured federal funding to work with states, local governments and service providers to develop effective programs to serve children and families at risk.

Raising Public Awareness
Through speeches, writings, events and public service announcements, the President and First Lady have promoted the importance and benefits of adoption.

A Challenge to the Nation:

Safe and Permanent Homes for All Children
Today, President Clinton issued a challenge to the nation and signed a directive to members of his Cabinet to take new actions to move children more rapidly from foster care to safe, permanent homes. The goal of the President’s ambitious new initiative is to at least double, by the year 2002, the number of children in foster care who are adopted or permanently placed each year. The directive focuses on securing homes for the tens of thousands of children in foster care who cannot return safely to their homes and for whom adoption is a goal. After consulting with Congressional, state and civic leaders, agencies will report back to the President within 60 days on steps to reach the directives goals, which include:

I. Doubling the Number of Children Adopted or Permanently Placed by 2002:
Create Incentives for States: To shift the focus from paperwork to successful outcomes, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will work with states to set specific targets for increases in the number of children adopted or found permanent placement. In return, the federal government will provide a new per child financial incentive to states to increase the number of adoptions from the public welfare system. This action should nearly pay for itself, as increasing the number of adoptions will reduce expenditures in the foster care system. Progress in meeting the numerical targets will be compiled and published in a state-by-state annual report. Successful states will be recognized for their accomplishments.

Breakdown Racial and Ethnic Barriers to Adoption: HHS will continue to aggressively implement the laws signed by President Clinton in 1994 and 1996, which prohibit adoption agencies from denying or delaying placement of a waiting child based on race, color, or national origin, and encourage recruitment of adoptive parents.

II. Moving Children More Rapidly from Foster Care to Permanent Homes:
Decrease Procedural Delays: President Clinton is directing HHS to consult with Congress, states and civic leaders to propose changes to federal laws, policies and regulations and clarification of the reasonable effort requirement, to help states focus on finding permanent homes for children from the moment they enter the foster care system.
Help States Identify and Address Barriers to Permanency: As part of his budget proposal in February, the President will propose financial assistance for states to identify barriers to permanency and to develop strategies for children who have been waiting for a particularly long time. The President’s initiative also directs HHS to encourage alternative permanency arrangements, such as guardianship and kinship care, for children for whom adoption is not a viable option.

III. Increasing Public Awareness:
Call to American Families, Communities and Business: The Clinton Administration will launch a new campaign in partnership with state, civic and business leaders, to increase public awareness about children waiting for adoption and to encourage all Americans to consider the rewards and responsibilities of adoption in new public service announcements, print materials, and on the Internet.
Provide Information on the Benefits of Adoption: Federal agencies will form partnerships to inform people of the new adoption tax credits, the Family and Medical Leave Act benefits, and other supports for adoptive parents, as well as recognize private sector companies with model policies to encourage adoption. The Office of Personnel Management will provide support and information to federal employees who are interested in becoming adoptive parents.