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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

NC Legislature Considers Foster Care Family Act

North Carolina General Assembly -- http://www.ncleg.net
Representative Sarah Stevens

In New Hanover County alone, there are 350 children in foster care. The North Carolina legislature is rethinking some policies surrounding the system. 

If passed, the Foster Care Family Act would implement what the bill calls a “reasonable and prudent parent standard” for decisions made by foster families. Representative Sarah Stevens says the Act would help foster parents function with more freedom: 

"Reasonable and prudent parent standard is characterized by the careful and sensible parental decisions that maintain a child’s health, safety, and best interest while encouraging the child’s emotional growth. They can use reasonable and prudent parenting standards when determining whether to allow a child in foster care to participate in extracurricular activities, enrichment activities, and social activities."

As it stands, those decisions regarding the child’s wellbeing would have to be checked and cleared by Social Services.

The Act would also provide liability insurance for foster parents, who could be sued if their foster child is harmed while under their care. In addition, it aims to reduce barriers that foster children face when seeking to obtain a driver’s license.