Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)

A Decade of Leaving Children in Foster Care Behind

July 16 marks the 10-year anniversary of the decision by Congress to tie eligibility for Title IV-E federal foster care  assistance to Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), the former cash-assistance program. The decision was flawed from the start and, over the years, the negative consequences have only increased, resulting in a stunning decline of federal support and growing abandonment by our government for vulnerable children.