State
StatuteS
SerieS
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
Children’s Bureau
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Children’s Bureau/ACYF
1250 Maryland Avenue, SW
Eighth Floor
Washington, DC 20024
703.385.7565 or 800.394.3366
Email: info@childwelfare.gov
www.childwelfare.gov
Court hearings are used to review the status and
determine the permanent placement of children
who have been placed in out-of-home care, includ-
ing foster care.
The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of
1997 (P.L. 105-89) amended title IV-E of the Social
Security Act in an effort to provide added safety and
permanency for children in foster placement. ASFA
placed an emphasis on expediting and improving
planning and decision-making for the permanent
placement of children in the child welfare system.
Electronic copies of this publication
may be downloaded at
www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/
laws_policies/statutes/planning.cfm
To find statute information for a
particular State, go to
www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/
laws_policies/search/index.cfm
To find information on all the
States and territories, order a copy
of the full-length PDF by calling
800.394.3366 or 703.385.7565, or
download it at
www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/
laws_policies/statutes/planningall.pdf
Court Hearings
for the Permanent
Placement of Children
Current Through
June 2006
Court Hearings for the Permanent Placement of Children
www.childwelfare.gov
This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare
Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/planning.cfm.
ASFA (42 U.S.C. 675(5)(B)) requires that the status of each child
in foster care be reviewed at least once every 6 months by either
a court or an administrative review. In addition, under ASFA, a
permanency planning hearing must be held within 12 months
after the date the child entered