[momsphotoop]

Can someone explain to me how the NY laws work? The parents have to work their plan and be living acceptably within 15 months, correct? What happens when they screw up for a few months ,do they start all over or start where they left off.
I remember in class they said the parents are not allowed to stretch it out like in previous years, they have a certain amount of time and that is it. Am I remembering this correctly?
Thanks!

[Prettyboicris]

It's always done on a case by case basis

[momsphotoop]

I thought Pres. Clinton passed a law when he was in office to stop having these kids in the system for so long. I thought the parents had a specific amount of time to pull it together.

[Boulderbabe]

There is a federal law called The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1996. ASFA lays out a guideline that says that children should be in a permanent home (placed there, not necessarily adopted or even TPRd) if they have been in foster care 15 of the last 22 months. Some states have stricter guidelines than that.

The problem is, ASFA is just a guideline. Judges have the legal right to override it, and they do, often. There are no penalties to anybody for ignoring the ASFA deadlines. Also, if the foster parent has said that the foster family is willing to adopt, the child is technically in a "permanent" home, so the requirement is met even if TPR hasn't been filed. So, in practice, cases can drag out substantially longer.

Hope this helps.