Directs the office of children and family services to conduct a statewide needs assessment to identify any unmet needs, including, but not limited to, housing, mental health access, financial assistance, childcare, and respite care access for kinship caregivers.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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9242
IN SENATE
February 18, 2026
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Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT directing the office of children and family services to conduct a
statewide needs assessment on unmet needs of kinship caregivers; and
providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the office
2 of children and family services shall conduct a statewide needs assess-
3 ment to identify any unmet needs, including, but not limited to, hous-
4 ing, mental health access, financial assistance, childcare, and respite
5 care access for kinship caregivers. Such office shall further determine
6 if needs are being met throughout the state; suggest necessary improve-
7 ment areas and why certain areas need such improvement.
8 2. Upon request, every state and local agency shall cooperate with the
9 office of children and family services. For the accomplishment of its
10 purposes, the council may meet and hold public and/or private hearings
11 within or without the state, and shall have all the powers of a legisla-
12 tive committee pursuant to the legislative law. The council is author-
13 ized and empowered to undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or
14 analyses it may deem relevant through its own personnel or in cooper-
15 ation with or by agreement with any other public or private agency.
16 § 2. The office of children and family services shall publish a report
17 containing the findings of such needs assessment and methods for
18 improvement. Such report shall be delivered to the governor, the tempo-
19 rary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly no later
20 than two years after the effective date of this act.
21 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
22 deemed repealed two years after such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14539-02-6
