Assembly Bill A1256

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1256
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 7, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. EPSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend a chapter of the  laws  of  2020,  amending  the  social
   services  law  relating  to  reporting  of youth placed in foster care
   settings and recruitment of foster parents, as proposed in legislative
   bills numbers A.1436-C and  S.222-C,  in  relation  to  directing  the
   office  of  children  and family services to make information publicly
   available on the number of youth placed in foster  care  settings  and
   recruitment  of  foster  parents and the effectiveness thereof; and to
   repeal certain provisions of the social services law relating thereto
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision (1) of section 17 of the social services law,
 as added by a chapter of the laws of 2020, amending the social  services
 law  relating  to  reporting of youth placed in foster care settings and
 recruitment of foster parents, as proposed in legislative bills  numbers
 A.1436-C and S.222-C, is REPEALED.
   §  2.  The  office  of  children  and family services shall, beginning
 December 31, 2021 and biannually thereafter, make  information  publicly
 available  on its website regarding youth placed in foster care settings
 and the recruitment of foster  parents.  Such  information  as  required
 pursuant  to  this  section shall be aggregated by local social services
 districts and foster care settings. For the purposes  of  this  section,
 foster care settings shall include, but not be limited to, foster board-
 ing homes, approved relative homes, group homes, group residences, agen-
 cy  operated  boarding homes, supervised independent living arrangements
 and child care institutions. The information posted  on  the  office  of
 children  and family services' website shall include, but not be limited
 to, the following information:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07156-01-1

              

 A. 1256                             2
 
   1. the total number of youth placed in a foster care  setting  at  the
 time of the report, as well as a comparison to the total number of youth
 in care since the previous report was submitted;
   2.  to  the extent practicable, after making all diligent efforts, the
 reasons why such youth have been placed in a foster care  setting,  with
 the  total  number of youth per category at the time of the report. Such
 reasons may include, but not be limited to, voluntary placement pursuant
 to section three hundred fifty-eight-a of this chapter, a termination of
 parental rights pursuant to section three hundred eighty-four-b of  this
 chapter,  placements  pursuant  to  articles ten and ten-C of the family
 court act, or pursuant to a contract, grant or other agreement with  the
 federal government;
   3.  after  making all diligent efforts, to the extent such information
 is available, the total number of youth placed in a foster care  setting
 that are in need of or receiving specialized educational services;
   4.  to  the extent such information is applicable, how many youth have
 been previously placed in a foster care setting in the state;
   5. the total number of foster families that are certified in the state
 at the time of the report and  whether  that  number  has  increased  or
 decreased since the previous report was submitted;
   6.  after  making all diligent efforts, to the extent such information
 is available, how many children and/or families have received preventive
 services through a local social services district, and of those children
 and/or families, how many youth subsequently entered foster care  within
 the last calendar year for the initial report, and then since the previ-
 ous report was submitted for all subsequent reports;
   7.  after  making all diligent efforts, to the extent such information
 is available, the total number of placement options that  have  been  or
 are  anticipated  to  be  certified as a qualified residential treatment
 program, as defined by 42 United States Code section 672; and
   8. a description of the efforts the state has taken  to  assist  local
 social  services  districts  and  voluntary  agencies recruit and retain
 foster parents in the state in preparation  for  implementation  of  the
 federal Family First Prevention Services Act (P.L. 115-123).
   §  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2020, amending  the  social  services
 law  relating  to  reporting of youth placed in foster care settings and
 recruitment of foster parents, as proposed in legislative bills  numbers
 A.1436-C  and S.222-C; provided, however, that the provisions of section
 two of this act shall expire and be deemed repealed December 31, 2023.