jun 12, 1994 - Multiethnic Placement Act
(Children's Bureau, 2012)
Description:
Racial disproportionality of the foster care population prompted some prospective adoptive parents to advocate for passage of the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) of 1994. This law prohibits the delay or denial of a child’s adoptive placement solely on the basis of the child or adoptive parent’s race and requires “diligent efforts” to recruit and retain foster and adoptive families that reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the children for whom homes are needed. Two years later, MEPA was amended to remove a provision that had allowed States to consider the child’s ethnic/cultural background (and the prospective parents’ ability to meet the child’s related needs) in placement decisions.
Added to timeline:
Foster Care History
Date:
