Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law Monday aimed at making the foster and adoption process more efficient.
Senate Bill 0270 (SB0270), carried by Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin-District 27) in the Senate, and House Bill 0318 (HB0318), carried by Representative William Lamberth (R-Portland-District 44) in the House, were written by the Governor’s Office following the enactment of the state’s abortion ban. The hope was that people would choose adoption for their unborn child instead of abortion.
The legislation was signed at Ridgedale Baptist Church in Chattanooga, a church that offers a number of support programs for foster families and works closely with DCS for foster placement, with several foster and adoptive families in attendance.
For Lee, the issue hits close to home as his wife Maria was raised in a family that fostered children.
The new law will allow adoptions to be finalized in only three months, instead of the current six months. Additionally, biological mothers can be compensated during their entire pregnancy and for 90 days after birth, much longer than the previously allowed compensation time. Biological mothers also have access to paid counseling services for up to two years after the adoption.
