Under ASFA, what is the typical minimum timeframe from removal to a permanency hearing?

• A. Within 9 months of removal, with possible extensions in certain circumstances.
• B. Permanency hearings are typically required within 12 months of removal, with possible extensions in certain circumstances.
• C. Within 18 months of removal, with extensions only for special cases.
• D. Within 24 months of removal, with automatic extensions.

Answer: (B)

ASFA sets a clear pace for decision-making about a child’s future once they enter foster care: the first permanency hearing should occur no later than 12 months after removal. This timeline helps ensure that a permanent plan—whether reunification, adoption, guardianship, or another arrangement—is considered promptly. Extensions beyond that 12-month point are allowed only in limited, justified circumstances and are not automatic. That’s why this option reflects the federal standard: a 12-month timeframe with possible, case-specific extensions. The other timeframes (nine months, eighteen months, twenty-four months) either misstate the baseline or imply automatic extensions, which ASFA does not provide.