Assembly Bill A4557

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4557
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. CUNNINGHAM, LUNSFORD, BURDICK -- read once and
   referred to the Committee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to written  notifi-
   cation to schools of a student's placement in foster care
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new  section
 405 to read as follows:
   §  405. NOTIFICATION TO SCHOOLS OF FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT. 1.  WHENEVER
 A CHILD PLACED IN FOSTER FAMILY CARE OR AN AGENCY BOARDING HOME OR GROUP
 HOME WHO IS A PUBLIC CHARGE IN A SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT IS ADMITTED TO
 A SCHOOL, AN OFFICIAL WITHIN THAT SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT OR  AN  OFFI-
 CIAL  OF  THE AUTHORIZED AGENCY ACTING ON THE CHILD'S BEHALF IN BOARDING
 OUT SUCH CHILD, SHALL SEND WRITTEN  NOTIFICATION  TO  THE  PRINCIPAL  OR
 PRINCIPAL'S  DESIGNEE  OF THE SCHOOL IN WHICH THE CHILD IS ENROLLED THAT
 SAID CHILD IS IN FOSTER FAMILY CARE OR AN AGENCY BOARDING HOME OR  GROUP
 HOME. SUCH NOTIFICATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE PRINCIPAL OR PRINCIPAL'S
 DESIGNEE  NO  LATER  THAN  THE  FIRST  DAY  DURING WHICH THE CHILD IS IN
 ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL AND MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
   (A) THE NAME OF SUCH CHILD;
   (B) THE DATE OF BIRTH OF SUCH CHILD, IF ASCERTAINABLE, OR SUCH CHILD'S
 APPARENT AGE;
   (C) THE NAMES AND ADDRESS OF THE FOSTER PARENTS OR, WHERE  APPLICABLE,
 THE NAME OF THE CHILD CARE AGENCY AND THE ADDRESS OF THE AGENCY BOARDING
 HOME OR GROUP HOME;
   (D)  THE  NAME AND LOCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH SUCH CHILD
 RESIDED AT THE TIME SUCH CHILD BECAME A PUBLIC CHARGE IN FOSTER CARE;
   (E) THE NAME AND LOCATION OF THE SCHOOL LAST ATTENDED  BY  SUCH  CHILD
 PRIOR TO SUCH CHILD'S CURRENT ADMISSION; AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04025-01-5
 A. 4557                             2
 
              

   (F)  THE  NAME  AND LOCATION OF THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES COMMISSIONER
 CARING FOR SUCH CHILD, AND THE NAME AND LOCATION OF ANY AUTHORIZED AGEN-
 CY ACTING ON SUCH CHILD'S BEHALF.
   2.  ANY  INFORMATION  GATHERED OR DISSEMINATED ABOUT A CHILD PLACED IN
 FOSTER FAMILY CARE OR AN AGENCY BOARDING HOME OR GROUP HOME PURSUANT  TO
 THIS  SECTION SHALL BE TREATED IN A CONFIDENTIAL MANNER AND SHALL NOT BE
 DISTRIBUTED,  MADE  AVAILABLE  OR  DISCLOSED  BY  THE  SOCIAL   SERVICES
 DISTRICT, AUTHORIZED AGENCY OR SCHOOL OTHER THAN AS SPECIFICALLY PERMIT-
 TED BY SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.