S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________

                                         6362

                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                     March 2, 2009
                                      ___________

       Introduced by M. of A. SCARBOROUGH, N. RIVERA, JAFFEE -- Multi-Sponsored
         by  --  M. of A.  GREENE -- read once and referred to the Committee on
         Children and Families

       AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing the
         youth in progress advisory board and regional teams for adolescents in
         foster care for the state

         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

    1    Section 1. Article 6 of the social services law is amended by adding a
    2  new title 1-B to read as follows:

    3                                  TITLE 1-B
    4                              YOUTH IN PROGRESS

    5  SECTION 394. YOUTH IN PROGRESS.
    6    S 394. YOUTH IN PROGRESS.  1. THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY
    7  BOARD  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED FOR THE PURPOSES OF BRINGING TOGETHER YOUTH
    8  AGE FOURTEEN AND OLDER WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN IN FOSTER CARE IN  ORDER  TO
    9  DISCUSS  COMMON  EXPERIENCES,  IDEAS  AND  CONCERNS.  THE  LOCAL  SOCIAL
   10  SERVICES DEPARTMENTS, AUTHORIZED AGENCIES SERVING ADOLESCENTS IN  FOSTER
   11  CARE, THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, AND CONTRACTORS OF THE
   12  OFFICE  MAY  RECRUIT  APPROPRIATE  YOUTH  TO PARTICIPATE IN THE YOUTH IN
   13  PROGRESS ADVISORY BOARD AND REGIONAL TEAMS ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.
   14    2. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY  SERVICES  SHALL  FACILITATE  THE
   15  FORMATION  OF REGIONAL YOUTH IN PROGRESS TEAMS AND ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING
   16  AN ADULT MENTOR FOR EACH  YOUTH  TEAM  MEMBER.  THE  REGIONAL  YOUTH  IN
   17  PROGRESS TEAMS AND ADULT MENTORS SHALL MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS AND SHALL
   18  CONDUCT  PERIODIC  REGIONAL FORUMS FOR FOSTER CARE YOUTH TO SPEAK OUT ON
   19  ISSUES OF INTEREST TO ADOLESCENTS IN FOSTER CARE.
   20    3. THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY  BOARD,  SHALL  INCLUDE  A
   21  REPRESENTATIVE  FROM  THE  REGIONAL TEAMS THAT WILL ADVISE THE OFFICE OF

        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD04459-01-9
       A. 6362                             2

    1  CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AND THE COUNCIL ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON
    2  ISSUES RELATING TO FOSTER CARE. IN EACH OF THE SIX  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN
    3  AND FAMILY SERVICES REGIONS THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS REGIONAL TEAM OR TEAMS
    4  SHALL  NOMINATE  UP  TO  FOUR  YOUTH  MEMBERS AND THEIR ADULT MENTORS TO
    5  PARTICIPATE IN THE STATEWIDE YOUTH IN PROGRESS ADVISORY BOARD. IN  ADDI-
    6  TION,  FOUR  YOUTH CURRENTLY OR FORMERLY PLACED WITH THE OFFICE OF CHIL-
    7  DREN AND FAMILY SERVICES' DIVISION OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND OPPORTUNITIES
    8  FOR YOUTH SHALL BE SELECTED BY THE MEMBERS OF  THE  STATEWIDE  YOUTH  IN
    9  PROGRESS  ADVISORY  BOARD, TO BE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD'S MEMBER-
   10  SHIP. THE STATEWIDE YOUTH IN PROGRESS ADVISORY BOARD SHALL  HAVE  UP  TO
   11  TWENTY-EIGHT YOUTH PARTICIPANTS AND SHALL MEET AT LEAST THREE TIMES EACH
   12  YEAR.
   13    4.  (A)  THE  STATEWIDE  YOUTH  IN  PROGRESS BOARD MAY ISSUE AN ANNUAL
   14  REPORT WITH ITS RECOMMENDATIONS ON ISSUES OF INTEREST TO ADOLESCENTS  IN
   15  FOSTER  CARE. THE REPORT MAY INCLUDE OTHER INFORMATION ON THE ACTIVITIES
   16  OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS  BOARD.  THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY
   17  SERVICES  SHALL  PROVIDE  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE STATEWIDE YOUTH IN
   18  PROGRESS BOARD,  INCLUDING  DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  ANNUAL  REPORT.  SUCH
   19  REPORTS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO:
   20  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE LEGISLATURE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNCIL ON CHILDREN
   21  AND FAMILIES, AND THE MEMBER AGENCIES OF THE  COUNCIL  ON  CHILDREN  AND
   22  FAMILIES.  THE  CONTENTS OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS ANNUAL REPORT SHALL BE
   23  SOLELY THE WORK PRODUCT OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS BOARD AND ITS  MEMBERS,
   24  AND  SHALL NOT BE REVISED OR EDITED BY THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY
   25  SERVICES.
   26    (B) AT LEAST SIXTY DAYS PRIOR TO THE COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  OFFICE  OF
   27  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY  SERVICES  FINAL APPROVAL OF RULES AND REGULATIONS
   28  PERTAINING TO FOSTER CARE OR SERVICES FOR ADOLESCENTS WHO  ARE  OR  HAVE
   29  BEEN  IN  FOSTER  CARE,  OTHER THAN EMERGENCY RULES AND REGULATIONS, THE
   30  COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT THE PROPOSED  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  TO  THE
   31  STATEWIDE  YOUTH  IN  PROGRESS  ADVISORY BOARD FOR REVIEW. THE STATEWIDE
   32  YOUTH IN PROGRESS BOARD MAY REPORT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS  THEREON  TO  THE
   33  COMMISSIONER  OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES WITHIN SIXTY
   34  DAYS.
   35    S 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
   36  have become a law.