Does Policy Variation Drive Child Welfare Outcomes: The Case of Adoption

Introduction In the U.S., responsibility for child protection policy is divided between federal and governments. The federal government sets an overarching policy framework; states are free to elaborate on the federal. The... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction
In the U.S., responsibility for child protection policy is divided between federal and governments. The federal government sets an overarching policy framework; states are free to elaborate on the federal. The interaction between state child protection policy and the federal framework gives rise to considerable variation. State leadership wants to protect children but the children identified as needing protection are a matter of the normative context.

Objective
In this paper, we explore policy variation and its impact on child level outcomes. Our focus is on adoption. Adoption is an option states use when children will not return home. Before a state agency can proceed with adoption, efforts to reunify the child with the parents must be pursued. Known as the diligent or reasonable efforts requirement, a state agency cannot proceed with adoption without showing what was done and how those efforts affected the decision to adopt. Over time, the federal government has looked for ways to lower the reasonable efforts standard. There are several reasons why that has happened. Suffice it say, there are circumstances in which it makes sense to move children more quickly down the adoption track. As described, this is an area where states have been able to elaborate on the federal policy scheme.

Method
Our goal in this paper is describe state policy variation and assess whether policy variation accounts for variation in how long it takes to adopt children from foster care. To do this, we lay out state policies and identify which policies are strong relative to what we find in other states. We then use that policy distinction to the study the impact of policy on the timing of adoption. Our hypothesis is that states with strong policies will have faster adoption rates. To conclude the presentation, we discuss the results and what can be done to target adoption policy more effectively.