COLUMBIA -- Governor Mark Sanford has signed into law a bill that aims to improve the process of placing foster children into permanent homes.
Legislative leaders and children's advocates joined the governor at the State House for the signing ceremony.
The bill allows family courts overseeing the adoption process to cut through red tape in cases of severe abuse and neglect.
The bill also places a greater responsibility on parents in these cases to show they're ready to be parents.
"As a former foster youth, I stand today with a sense of peace because the kids like me who grew up in those difficult times will quickly find a home," says Naomi Torfin of Children Come First.
A Sanford spokesperson says the bill is a direct result of recommendations made by an adoption services task force formed in 2007.
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