What is a primary goal of the Inter-Ethnic Placement Act (IEPA)?

The primary goal of the Inter-Ethnic Placement Act (IEPA) is to foster the adoption and placement of children in a manner that reduces delays and encourages timely placements, ultimately aiming to shorten the waiting period for adoptions. This legislation emphasizes that children should not be kept waiting for an adoptive family solely based on race, ethnicity, or the cultural background of the prospective adoptive families. By eliminating barriers related to ethnicity and promoting more effective placements, the act seeks to ensure that children in the welfare system have a chance to be placed into loving and supportive homes as swiftly as possible.

The other options do not accurately reflect the intent of the IEPA. Increasing the number of children in foster care runs counter to the act's goal of expeditious placements. Requiring children to be placed only with families of the same ethnicity is not aligned with the intent to promote diverse placements and is contrary to the principles of the act. Lastly, while public awareness on adoption can be beneficial, the act itself does not focus on mandating such campaigns as a primary goal.