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.
              

                                                            LBD15499-02-2
 A. 10104--A                         2
 
 NERS, AS WELL AS THE SALARIES OF SUCH WORKERS'  SUPERVISORS  WORKING  IN
 SUCH FOSTER CARE AGENCIES.
   §  3.  The  sum of seventeen million dollars ($17,000,000), or so much
 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the state  insur-
 ance fund out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to
 the credit of the state purpose account, not otherwise appropriated, and
 made  immediately available for the purposes of increases in salaries of
 foster care agency employees, including, but not limited to, direct care
 staff, caseworkers, and case planners, as well as the salaries  of  such
 workers'  supervisors  working in such foster care agencies. Such moneys
 shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers
 certified or approved by the department of social services in the manner
 prescribed by law.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.