S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7296

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               May 4, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. CLARK -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Children and Families

AN ACT to direct the office of children and  family  services  to  study
  current  policies  regarding  placement of children in kinship care to
  avoid foster care placements and make recommendations for  regulations
  governing kinship care placements

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The office of children and family services  shall  examine,
evaluate and review current policies governing facilitation of placement
of children in kinship care to avoid foster care placements in the state
and shall develop recommendations for regulations governing kinship care
placements, which shall include recommendations related to:
  (a)  a description of the rights and responsibilities of local boards,
birth parents, and kinship caregivers;
  (b) a process for the facilitation of placement or transfer of  custo-
dy;
  (c) a model disclosure letter to be provided to the parents and poten-
tial  kinship  caregivers,  including  information about the differences
between kinship care and kinship foster care, the impact of transferring
custody from the birth  parent  to  the  kinship  caregiver,  the  birth
parent's  role following transfer, and the plan requirements for custody
to be returned to the birth parent;
  (d) a process for developing a safety or service plan for the  family,
which  shall  include  gathering  input  from  birth  parents, potential
kinship caregivers, and other community and family supports;
  (e) a description of funding sources available to  support  safety  or
service plans;
  (f)  a process for gathering and reporting data regarding the well-be-
ing and permanency of children in kinship care; and

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10700-01-5

              

A. 7296                             2

  (g) a description of the training plan for local department of  social
services workers.
  S  2. The office of children and family services shall also review the
fiscal impact of proposed regulations.
  S 3. The office of children  and  family  services  shall  report  its
recommendations and findings to the governor, the temporary president of
the  senate,  the  speaker  of  the assembly, the minority leader of the
senate and the minority leader of the assembly by January 1, 2016.
  S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.