Assembly Bill A10104A

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Increases salaries for foster care direct care workers; appropriation

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

2021-A10104 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S8851
Current Committee:
Assembly Ways And Means
Law Section:
Social Services Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §398-a, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A3411, S3101

2021-A10104 - Summary

Increases salaries for foster care direct care workers; makes an appropriation therefor.

2021-A10104 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10104
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 29, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. DARLING -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the foster  care
   block  grant  and  salary  enhancements  for  direct care workers; and
   making an appropriation therefor
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  findings.  The  legislature  finds  that the
 COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the child  welfare  work-
 force  within the foster care system. Direct care workers have continued
 to come to work every day throughout the pandemic,  care  for  our  most
 vulnerable  children,  and  are  part  of our essential workforce. While
 other essential workers have been recognized or provided enhanced salary
 payments, direct care workers in the  child  welfare  system  have  not.
 Moreover, the agencies that employ the child welfare workforce have been
 historically  underfunded  and  as a result the compensation provided to
 workers does not provide a living wage.
   Therefore, the legislature proposes salaries for direct  care  workers
 be increased starting with the 2022-2023 rate year and continued for the
 following  two  years.  This  investment will help stabilize the current
 turnover and vacancy rates within the direct care workforce  which  will
 have  a  positive  and  beneficial impact on children in the foster care
 system.
   § 2. Section 398-a of the social services law is amended by  adding  a
 new subdivision 2-d to read as follows:
   (2-D) PAYMENTS MADE DIRECTLY BY SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS TO VOLUNTARY
 FOSTER  CARE  AGENCIES  TO  INCREASE THE SALARIES DURING EACH OF THE TWO
 THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO--TWO THOUSAND  TWENTY-THREE,  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-
 THREE--TWO  THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR AND TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR--TWO THOU-
 SAND TWENTY-FIVE RATE YEARS, SHALL BE  SUPPORTED  BY  INCREASED  FUNDING
 AVAILABLE THROUGH THE FOSTER CARE BLOCK GRANT.
   §  3.  The  sum of seventeen million dollars ($17,000,000), or so much
 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated from any  moneys  in
 the  state  treasury  in  the  general  fund  to the credit of the state
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

2021-A10104A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S8851
Current Committee:
Assembly Ways And Means
Law Section:
Social Services Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §398-a, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A3411, S3101

2021-A10104A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Increases salaries for foster care direct care workers; makes an appropriation therefor.

2021-A10104A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                 10104--A
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 29, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. DARLING -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Children and Families -- committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to increasing sala-
   ries  for foster care direct care workers; and making an appropriation
   therefor

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  findings.  The  Legislature  finds  that the
 COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the child  welfare  work-
 force  within the foster care system. Direct care workers have continued
 to come to work every day throughout the pandemic,  care  for  our  most
 vulnerable  children,  and  are  part of our essential workforce.  While
 other essential workers have been recognized or provided enhanced salary
 payments, direct care workers in the  child  welfare  system  have  not.
 Moreover,  the  agencies that employ the foster care workforce have been
 historically underfunded and as a result the  compensation  provided  to
 workers does not provide a living wage.
   Therefore,  the  Legislature proposes salaries for direct care workers
 be increased starting with the 2022-2023 rate year and continued for the
 following two years. This investment will  help  stabilize  the  current
 turnover  and  vacancy rates within the direct care workforce which will
 have a positive and beneficial impact on children  in  the  foster  care
 system.
   §  2.  Section 398-a of the social services law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 2-d to read as follows:
   (2-D) PAYMENTS MADE DIRECTLY BY SOCIAL SERVICE DISTRICTS TO  VOLUNTARY
 FOSTER  CARE  AGENCIES  TO INCREASE EMPLOYEE SALARIES DURING EACH OF THE
 TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE, TWO  THOUSAND  TWEN-
 TY-THREE--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-FOUR,  AND TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR--TWO
 THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE RATE YEARS SHALL BE SUPPORTED BY INCREASED  FUNDING
 AVAILABLE  THROUGH  THE  FOSTER CARE BLOCK GRANT. SUCH PAYMENTS SHALL BE
 USED TO INCREASE THE SALARIES OF FOSTER CARE AGENCY  EMPLOYEES,  INCLUD-
 ING,  BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DIRECT CARE STAFF, CASEWORKERS, AND CASE PLAN-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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