Letter to HHS: Opposing the AFCARS Delay

Voice for Adoption has written a letter to share our strong opposition to the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) recent decision to delay for two fiscal years the implementation of the 2016 final rule to update the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). Further delaying this update will negatively affect the ability to address the needs of vulnerable children in foster care. AFCARS plays a critical role in tracking the experience of children in foster care and the success of implementation of federal child welfare law at the state level. The already-finalized AFCARS rule would include collection of critical new data which would significantly improve current child welfare data collection.

Delaying compliance with the 2016 AFCARS Final Rule is unnecessary and requires states to divert resources. We strongly urged ACF not to delay or scale-back implementation of the 2016 final rule and oppose this proposed two-year delay.

Read the full letter here.