S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
872
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
(PREFILED)
January 6, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sen. BENJAMIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
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A.1436-C and S.222-C, is REPEALED.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
S. 872 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.
