The Multiethnic Placement Act Minorities in Foster Care and Adoption

A panel of experts briefed members of the Commission on September 21, 2007 regarding the enactment of the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) and its effect on reducing the amount of time minority children spend in foster care or wait to be adopted. The panelists also discussed transracial adoptions and whether they serve children's best interests and assessed the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) effectiveness in enforcing MEPA.