Bill Text: TX HB118 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 2nd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to foster parent recruitment.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-08-09 - Filed [HB118 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB118-Introduced.html
| 87S20188 MCK-D | ||
| By: Jetton | H.B. No. 118 | |
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| relating to foster parent recruitment. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 264.113, Family Code, is amended to read | ||
| as follows: | ||
| Sec. 264.113. FOSTER PARENT RECRUITMENT. (a) In this | ||
| section, "faith-based organization" means a religious or | ||
| denominational institution or organization, including an | ||
| organization operated for religious, educational, or charitable | ||
| purposes and operated, supervised, or controlled, in whole or in | ||
| part, by or in connection with a religious organization. | ||
| (b) The department shall develop a foster parent | ||
| recruitment program to educate residents of this state about the | ||
| foster care system and the need for foster parents. | ||
| (b-1) As part of the foster parent recruitment program, the | ||
| department shall recruit and retain foster parents from faith-based | ||
| organizations. The [ |
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| (1) collaborate with faith-based organizations to | ||
| inform prospective foster parents about the department's need for | ||
| foster parents, the requirements for becoming a foster parent, and | ||
| any other aspect of the foster care program that is necessary to | ||
| recruit foster parents; | ||
| (2) provide training for prospective foster parents | ||
| recruited under this section; and | ||
| (3) identify and recommend ways in which faith-based | ||
| organizations may support persons as they are recruited, are | ||
| trained, and serve as foster parents. | ||
| (c) The department shall work with OneStar Foundation to | ||
| expand the foster parent recruitment program [ |
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| for the department and its private providers. In cooperation with | ||
| the department, OneStar Foundation may provide training and | ||
| technical assistance to establish networks and services in | ||
| faith-based organizations based on best practices for supporting | ||
| prospective and current foster families. | ||
| (d) The department shall work with the Health and Human | ||
| Services Commission [ |
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| skills, training, or experience suitable to care for children with | ||
| hearing impairments. | ||
| (e) The department shall collaborate with foster and | ||
| adoptive parents to develop and implement a foster parent | ||
| recruitment plan. The plan must: | ||
| (1) identify geographic areas in this state in need of | ||
| foster parents using risk stratification modeling or risk | ||
| assessments of geographic areas with higher occurrences of child | ||
| abuse and neglect or child fatalities; | ||
| (2) use data analysis, social media, partnerships with | ||
| faith-based and volunteer organizations, and other recruitment | ||
| strategies, including targeted and child-focused recruitment; | ||
| (3) identify the number of available foster parents | ||
| for children with increased needs for therapy or treatment in order | ||
| to expand the use of therapeutic or treatment foster care for | ||
| children in those placements; | ||
| (4) require the provision of: | ||
| (A) quality customer service to prospective | ||
| foster and adoptive parents and to foster and adoptive parents; and | ||
| (B) assistance to prospective foster parents | ||
| with the certification and placement process; | ||
| (5) include strategies for increasing the number of | ||
| kinship providers; | ||
| (6) include strategies to ensure that children in | ||
| foster care are not required to transfer schools after entering | ||
| foster care, unless transferring is in the child's best interest; | ||
| and | ||
| (7) include programs to support foster and adoptive | ||
| families, including programs that provide training, respite care, | ||
| and peer assistance. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the | ||
| last day of the legislative session. | ||
