§ 440. Findings; purpose. 1. The legislature finds that children
who are in care away from their own homes on a full time basis, whether
temporarily or for a prolonged period, require effective supervision and
review of their status in care and of the plans for them. It is the
policy of the state of New York to assure that such children are
appropriately placed, that needed services are provided to them and
their families, and that unnecessary and prolonged placements are
avoided. The legislature further finds that this policy is often
frustrated, and fiscal and program accountability have not been promoted
because of divergent and overlapping jurisdictions of various government
and private agencies; the lack of coordination among programs of these
agencies; and the excessive workloads of judicial personnel, social
services workers, and others responsible for reviewing the status in
care of these children.

2. To assist in overcoming these difficulties, it is the intent of
the legislature to establish a statewide management assistance system to
be called the child care review service. The service shall be designed
and operated to effectuate the following purposes:

(a) identification and assessment of the needs and problems of
children in care and their families, to effectuate meaningful case
planning;

(b) case management and supervision by child care agencies of
children in full-time care away from their homes;

(c) supervision and evaluation by state agencies of local and
voluntary child care agency performance;

(d) planning and policy making by state agencies, the governor and
the legislature;

(e) meeting in a timely manner all judicial review requirements of
this chapter, the family court act and any other applicable provisions
of law;

(f) reduction of the need for manual form preparation; and

(g) meeting federal reporting requirements so as to qualify for
federal funds under the federal social security act.