Relates to a study of the number of children in foster care who have a developmental disability; provides such study shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following: assessing the demographics of the children in foster care with a developmental disability, including, but not limited to, their county of residence, age, race and gender identity, and determining whether the placement of such individuals in foster care was voluntary or court ordered; evaluating the current guidelines and regulations used to oversee the placement and treatment of children with a developmental disability; and analyzing the extent to which such age-appropriate children are prepared for a transition from foster care to an independent living situation.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9080--A
IN ASSEMBLY
January 31, 2022
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Children and Families -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT in relation to a study of the number of children in foster care
who have a developmental disability
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The commissioner of the office of children and family
2 services, in consultation with the commissioner of the office for people
3 with developmental disabilities, shall conduct a study to determine the
4 number of children who have been placed in foster care and who have been
5 diagnosed with a developmental disability. Such study shall include, but
6 shall not be limited to, the following:
7 (a) assessing the demographics of the children in foster care with a
8 developmental disability, including, but not limited to, their county of
9 residence, age, race and gender identity, and determining whether the
10 placement of such individuals in foster care was voluntary or court
11 ordered;
12 (b) evaluating the current guidelines and regulations used to oversee
13 the placement and treatment of children with a developmental disability;
14 and
15 (c) analyzing the extent to which such age-appropriate children are
16 prepared for a transition from foster care to an independent living
17 situation.
18 § 2. For purposes of this section, "developmental disability" shall
19 have the same meaning as set forth in subdivision 22 of section 1.03 of
20 the mental hygiene law.
21 § 3. The commissioner of the office of children and family services
22 and the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disa-
23 bilities may acquire directly from the head of any department, agency,
24 or instrumentality of the state, available non-identifiable information
25 which the offices consider useful in the discharge of their duties. All
26 departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the state shall cooper-
27 ate with the offices with respect to such information and shall furnish
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13318-02-2
A. 9080--A 2
1 all information requested by the offices to the extent permitted by law.
2 Information collected shall not reveal the name, social security number
3 or any other information which may be used to identify the children or
4 the family of the children.
5 § 4. The commissioner of the office of children and family services
6 and the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disa-
7 bilities shall submit a report of the findings of the study, with any
8 personal and identifying information redacted, conducted pursuant to
9 section one of this act, to the governor, the temporary president of the
10 senate, the speaker of the assembly and the minority leaders of the
11 senate and assembly no later than one year following the effective date
12 of this act. The report shall also include recommendations on how to
13 consistently maintain a record of the number of children who have been
14 placed in foster care who have been diagnosed with a developmental disa-
15 bility, recommendations to improve the placement and treatment of chil-
16 dren in foster care and recommendations to further develop existing
17 guidelines and regulations to prepare age-appropriate children who have
18 a developmental disability for a transition to an independent living
19 situation.
20 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
