Gov. Bill Lee (R) this week signed into law a bill that streamlines the adoption process in Tennessee.
“I signed the Forever Homes Act, legislation that will provide critical support to TN foster & adoptive families to accelerate child placement,” Lee said after the Tuesday bill signing in Chattanooga. “Great to meet with [Tennessee Department of Children’s Services] caseworkers & adoptive parents in Chattanooga who are giving TN children a loving, permanent home.”
I signed the Forever Homes Act, legislation that will provide critical support to TN foster & adoptive families to accelerate child placement.
Great to meet with @TN_DCS caseworkers & adoptive parents in Chattanooga who are giving TN children a loving, permanent home. pic.twitter.com/jKXiQTGVkw
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) April 25, 2023
“We have an obligation to ensure that Tennessee children have a loving, permanent home, and the Forever Homes Act is an additional step that will provide critical support to foster and adoptive families and accelerate child placement,” Lee said during the bill signing. “I commend Commissioner Margie Quin and the General Assembly for partnering to serve Tennessee children and families.”
According to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (TNDCS), the bill will “provide support to foster and adoptive families and accelerate child placement, namely allowing for a judicial waiver to speed adoption finalization from six to three months if a court sees fit, providing foster parents with a respite period of up to six months without losing their standing as a foster home, and extending care services for expectant mothers.”
TNDCS Commissioner Margie Quin also spoke at the event.
“As an adoptive parent, these supports for Tennessee families would have been music to my ears,” she said. “I appreciate Governor Lee’s leadership to steward key budget and legislative priorities to serve Tennessee’s vulnerable children and benefit foster and adoptive families.”
TNDCS also offers adoptive parents financial assistance for childcare through the age of 12.
“We are pleased to announce that the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (TN DCS) offers childcare assistance for families who adopt children from DCS foster care!” TNDS said on its website. “We have partnered with the Department of Human Services (DHS) to offer the Childcare Certificate Program to families who are eligible. Children must meet the eligibility requirements and the childcare provider must accept the DHS voucher to qualify for this assistance.”
The eligibility requirements dictate that the adoptive parents have adopted the child through the TNDCS foster care program, and that the child must be between 0 and twelve years old.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “Bill Lee” by Bill Lee.
