But the government is listening more to practitioners, which is good news. ASFA also provides financial incentives for an efficient adoption system. Before ASFA, more than 80 percent of federal money went to the child welfare bureaucracy, with under a fifth of federal money actually finding its way to caretaker families. The new legislation therefore speeds up the adoption process in several ways. The 1994 Multiethnic Placement Act was also designed to speed up adoptions and to respond to critics of race-based adoption, which has long been a contentious issue.
Current law prohibits the denial or delay of adoption or foster placement based on race.
This presents a difficult dilemma for child welfare workers. In a nation already struggling to honor its citizens of color, this concerns and disturbs many Americans. However, for children who may be difficult to place, the amendment to MEPA removes one barrier to adoption. There is simply no consensus on this controversial issue. We can all expect laws regarding foster care and adoption, especially with respect to race and parental rights, to change times during our careers.