BILL NUMBER: S5326

SPONSOR: BRISPORT
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to increasing the
state reimbursement rate for preventative child protective services

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section
153-k of the social services law to increase the rate at which the state
reimburses local services districts for preventative child protective
services from 65%. to 75%.

Section 2 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Preventative child protective services are supportive and rehabilitative
services that are provided to children and their families for the
purpose of: keeping children safely at home whenever possible to prevent
              

the need for placement in foster care; facilitating family reunifica-
tion; and reducing the likelihood that foster care placement will be
needed again.

Prevention workers work alongside families to understand supports and
services they require, and may provide referrals to treatment programs,
including mental health or substance use disorder treatment, or parent-
ing classes. These services have been especially important throughout
the pandemic, when more families have needed support with securing food,
child care, cash assistance, domestic violence services, mental health
counseling, and substance use disorder treatment.

New York's open-ended child welfare funding stream, in place since 2002,
has provided an incentive to counties for investing in prevention
services, by reimbursing county funds spent on preventive services.
Since its enactment, New York has seen a dramatically reduced foster
care census-investment into prevention services has contributed to a 46%
decline in the number of children and youth entering the foster care
system statewide.

Current social services law provides that the state reimburse local
social service districts for preventative services expenditures at a
rate of 65%. This bill would increase the reimbursement rate to 75%
which better reflects the legislature's commitment to its children and
understanding of the long-lasting harm to children by unnecessary or
preventable separation from their families.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.