Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA) clearly and unequivocally establishes three national goals for children in foster care: safety, permanency, and well being. ASFA was in part a response to the fact that more children were entering the foster care system than were exiting. Five principles underlie the ASFA and apply to professionals working with families through public and private agencies as well as state courts. http://courtsandchildren.org/