In 1974, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges initiated a special project to promote, in courts throughout the country, periodic review of the status of all children in foster care. This paper explains the development of these judicial review systems, describes several alternative review mechanisms, and discusses key issues related to the successful implementation of court monitoring of the status of all children in foster care. In addition, the expected impact of a new Federal law germane to this subject, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-272), is briefly analyzed. Concluding remarks suggest that periodic court review is an excellent mechanism to assure that public agencies legally responsible for children in foster care plan effectively to meet those children's long-term, permanent needs. With the help of a properly functioning judicial review process, harms perpetrated by child welfare systems on children and parents can be corrected. (RH)