§ 409-d. District-wide child welfare services plan. 1. Each social
services district shall prepare and submit to the department, in such
form and manner and times as the department shall by regulation require,
a district-wide child welfare services plan which shall be a component
of the district's multi-year consolidated services plan setting forth:
the child welfare services needs of children and families for whom the
social services district is or may be responsible; historic program and
fiscal trends of the district in the level of care, maintenance and
services provided to children and their families, including but not
limited to expenditure trends, children and families served and costs of
services provided; an assessment of projected program and fiscal
requirements of the district in meeting identified needs in the next
state fiscal year; and a description of the resources known to be
available or likely to become available to meet those needs. Commencing
the year following preparation of a multi-year consolidated services
plan, each social services district shall prepare an annual
implementation report related to its child welfare services plan. As
used in this section "services" shall mean and include preventive
services, foster care maintenance and services, and adoption services.
Such regulations shall include but need not be limited to criteria and
methodology for determining child welfare services needs and the
adequacy of the resources known to be available or likely to become
available to meet those needs.

2. The child welfare services plan and annual implementation reports
shall be developed by the district in consultation with other government
agencies concerned with the welfare of children residing in the
district, authorized agencies, and other concerned individuals and
organizations. The plan as submitted to the department for approval and
as approved by the department shall be made available to such agencies,
individuals and organizations upon request.

3. (a) Each social services district shall submit its child welfare
services plan and annual implementation reports pertaining to this plan
to the department as a component of the multi-year consolidated services
plan and subsequent annual implementation reports and the department
shall review and approve or disapprove the proposed plan in accordance
with the procedures set forth in section thirty-four-a of this chapter.

(b) Such plan shall not be approved unless:

(i) it complies with the provisions of this section;

(ii) it demonstrates that child welfare services included in the plan
are appropriate to meet the assessed needs of the children and families
for whom the social services district is or may be responsible;

(iii) it is consistent with applicable provisions of this chapter and
regulations of the department promulgated thereunder; and

(iv) it is in the format and includes such standardized information
and data as may be required by the department to effectively evaluate
such plans.