Under ASFA, how often must judicial permanency hearings occur for children in foster care?

The correct choice for how often judicial permanency hearings must occur for children in foster care under the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) is every 12 months. ASFA, enacted in 1997, aims to ensure the safety and well-being of children in foster care while promoting timely permanency. The legislation emphasizes that these hearings are crucial for reviewing the status of the child’s case and making decisions about their future placement, whether that leads to reunification with family or another permanency plan.

Judicial permanency hearings serve as a mechanism for accountability, allowing the court to evaluate the progress of the case and ensure that children are not left in foster care indefinitely. By requiring these hearings to take place at least once every 12 months, ASFA reinforces the importance of timely decision-making in the context of child welfare, which is pivotal to achieving safe and stable living situations for children in foster care.

The other options, while they represent various intervals, do not align with the requirements set by ASFA. They suggest frequencies that are either too frequent, potentially leading to unnecessary reviews, or too infrequent, which would not align with the goal of facilitating timely permanency.