STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 872 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN SENATE (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: 1 Section 1. Subdivision (1) of section 17 of the social services law, 2 as added by a chapter of the laws of 2020, amending the social services 3 law relating to reporting of youth placed in foster care settings and 4 recruitment of foster parents, as proposed in legislative bills numbers 5 A.1436-C and S.222-C, is REPEALED. 6 § 2. The office of children and family services shall, beginning 7 December 31, 2021 and biannually thereafter, make information publicly 8 available on its website regarding youth placed in foster care settings 9 and the recruitment of foster parents. Such information as required 10 pursuant to this section shall be aggregated by local social services 11 districts and foster care settings. For the purposes of this section, 12 foster care settings shall include, but not be limited to, foster board- 13 ing homes, approved relative homes, group homes, group residences, agen- 14 cy operated boarding homes, supervised independent living arrangements 15 and child care institutions. The information posted on the office of 16 children and family services' website shall include, but not be limited 17 to, the following information: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD07156-01-1S. 872 2 1 1. the total number of youth placed in a foster care setting at the 2 time of the report, as well as a comparison to the total number of youth 3 in care since the previous report was submitted; 4 2. to the extent practicable, after making all diligent efforts, the 5 reasons why such youth have been placed in a foster care setting, with 6 the total number of youth per category at the time of the report. Such 7 reasons may include, but not be limited to, voluntary placement pursuant 8 to section three hundred fifty-eight-a of this chapter, a termination of 9 parental rights pursuant to section three hundred eighty-four-b of this 10 chapter, placements pursuant to articles ten and ten-C of the family 11 court act, or pursuant to a contract, grant or other agreement with the 12 federal government; 13 3. after making all diligent efforts, to the extent such information 14 is available, the total number of youth placed in a foster care setting 15 that are in need of or receiving specialized educational services; 16 4. to the extent such information is applicable, how many youth have 17 been previously placed in a foster care setting in the state; 18 5. the total number of foster families that are certified in the state 19 at the time of the report and whether that number has increased or 20 decreased since the previous report was submitted; 21 6. after making all diligent efforts, to the extent such information 22 is available, how many children and/or families have received preventive 23 services through a local social services district, and of those children 24 and/or families, how many youth subsequently entered foster care within 25 the last calendar year for the initial report, and then since the previ- 26 ous report was submitted for all subsequent reports; 27 7. after making all diligent efforts, to the extent such information 28 is available, the total number of placement options that have been or 29 are anticipated to be certified as a qualified residential treatment 30 program, as defined by 42 United States Code section 672; and 31 8. a description of the efforts the state has taken to assist local 32 social services districts and voluntary agencies recruit and retain 33 foster parents in the state in preparation for implementation of the 34 federal Family First Prevention Services Act (P.L. 115-123). 35 § 3. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same 36 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2020, amending the social services 37 law relating to reporting of youth placed in foster care settings and 38 recruitment of foster parents, as proposed in legislative bills numbers 39 A.1436-C and S.222-C; provided, however, that the provisions of section 40 two of this act shall expire and be deemed repealed December 31, 2023.