S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2176
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 23, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. EPSTEIN, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, GIBBS, OTIS -- read once
   and referred to the Committee on Children and Families
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the social services law, in relation to reporting of
   youth placed  in  foster  care  settings  and  recruitment  of  foster
   parents;  and  to  repeal section 2 of chapter 11 of the laws of 2021,
   relating 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  effec-
   tiveness thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 2 of chapter 11 of the laws of  2021,  relating  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, is
 REPEALED.
   § 2. Section 17 of the social services law is amended by adding a  new
 subdivision (l) to read as follows:
   (L)  SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE
 TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE MINORITY LEADER OF  THE  ASSEMBLY
 AND  THE  MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE BEGINNING DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST,
 TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR, AND  BIANNUALLY  THEREAFTER,  REGARDING  YOUTH
 PLACED  IN  FOSTER  CARE SETTINGS AND THE RECRUITMENT OF FOSTER PARENTS.
 SUCH REPORT SHALL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONLINE  AND  SHALL  PROVIDE
 INFORMATION,  AS  REQUIRED  PURSUANT  TO THIS SUBDIVISION, AGGREGATED BY
 LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES  DISTRICTS  AND  FOSTER  CARE  SETTINGS.  FOR  THE
 PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION, FOSTER CARE SETTINGS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT
 NOT BE LIMITED TO, FOSTER BOARDING HOMES, APPROVED RELATIVE HOMES, GROUP
 HOMES, GROUP RESIDENCES,  AGENCY  OPERATED  BOARDING  HOMES,  SUPERVISED
 INDEPENDENT  LIVING ARRANGEMENTS, THERAPEUTIC FOSTER CARE AND CHILD CARE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03463-01-3
 A. 2176                             2
              

 
 INSTITUTIONS. THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,  THE
 FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
   (I)  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;
   (II) 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 SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,  VOLUNTARY
 PLACEMENT  PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT-A OF THIS CHAP-
 TER, 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;
   (III) TO THE EXTENT SUCH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF
 YOUTH PLACED IN A FOSTER CARE SETTING AT THE TIME OF THE REPORT THAT ARE
 IN NEED OF OR RECEIVING SPECIALIZED SERVICES, EITHER  DUE  TO  A  MENTAL
 HEALTH  ILLNESS OR ANOTHER DISORDER THAT MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS
 AND SERVICES, INCLUDING SPECIALIZED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES;
   (IV) TO THE EXTENT SUCH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, HOW  MANY  YOUTH  AT
 THE  TIME  OF  THE  REPORT  HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY PLACED IN A FOSTER CARE
 SETTING IN THE STATE;
   (V) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FOSTER FAMILIES THAT ARE  CURRENTLY  CERTIFIED
 IN  THE  STATE  AT  THE  TIME  OF THE REPORT AND WHETHER THAT NUMBER HAS
 INCREASED OR DECREASED SINCE THE PREVIOUS REPORT WAS SUBMITTED;
   (VI) 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 WERE SUCCESSFULLY KEPT OUT OF FOSTER
 CARE DUE TO SUCH SERVICES WITHIN THE LAST CALENDAR YEAR FOR THE  INITIAL
 REPORT,  AND THEN SINCE THE PREVIOUS REPORT WAS SUBMITTED FOR ALL SUBSE-
 QUENT REPORTS;
   (VII) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PLACEMENT OPTIONS THAT HAVE  BEEN  CERTIFIED
 AS  A  QUALIFIED  RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM, AS DEFINED BY 42 USCS §
 672; AND
   (VIII) THE EFFORTS THE STATE HAS TAKEN TO RECRUIT  AND  RETAIN  FOSTER
 PARENTS IN THE STATE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.