State Child Welfare Legislation 2006
December 2007
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Introduction
State lawmakers play a significant role in crafting legislation and policy that govern the safety and well-being of children in their states. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) tracks this activity through its State Child Welfare Legislation reports. This report documents significant state legislation enacted during the 2006 calendar year.1
In 2006, states continued to legislate heavily in the areas of adoption, courts, education of children in the child welfare system, foster care, kinship care and transition from foster care. A few state legislatures ventured into the areas of immigration and children of incarcerated parents, which may signal emerging trends. In addition, both prevention and oversight were dominant themes in 2006.
Footnote: 1 The legislation described here reflects emerging issues and key legislative trends related to child welfare. The report also includes new laws that address important issues in the child welfare field or institute substantial changes in child welfare practice or adminis-tration. The report is not intended to be an exhaustive compilation of all new state child welfare laws. Further, inclusion of the enactments herein should not be construed to mean that such laws represent “best practice” or are in accord with federal law.
Contents
- Adoption
- Child Fatality Review
- Confidentiality
- Courts and Legal Representation
- Education
- Finance
- Foster Care
- Immigration
- Incarcerated Parents
- Investigations
- Kinship Care
- Oversight/Administration
- Prevention and Treatment of Abuse
- Reporting
- Siblings
- Substance Abuse
- Transition from Foster Care
- Tribes
- Workforce
- Appendix. Citations and Summaries of State Child Welfare Legislation 2006
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