The Effects of Federal Adoption Incentive Awards for Older Children on Adoptions from U.S. Foster Care | JPAM Featured Article

When children in foster care cannot be reunified with their parents, adoption is considered a better option for permanent placement over long-term foster care. The federal Adoption Incentives program was established in 1997 to provide annual performance bonuses to states for increases in adoptions from U.S. foster care. This paper uses changes to the Adoption Incentives program in 2003 and 2008 to analyze states’ responses to the federal performance bonuses.