Promoting Permanency for Teens: A 50 State Review of Law and Policy

Over the last 20 years the number of children in foster care has decreased significantly. Yet during this same period, the number of teenagers aging out of foster care without finding a permanent family has increased from 19,000 to more than 23,000 annually. This review summarizes state policies that promote teen permanency and identifies barriers that hinder the permanent connection of teens through reunification, adoption, or guardianship.