Allows for child protective services workers to complete the required training on the fundamentals of child protection through distance learning methods beginning April 1, 2024.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7341
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 17, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to allowing for
child protective services workers to complete certain required train-
ing through distance learning methods
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 5 of section 421 of the social
2 services law, as amended by chapter 525 of the laws of 2006, is amended
3 to read as follows:
4 (b) promulgate regulations setting forth training requirements which
5 shall specify, among other things, that all persons hired by a child
6 protective service on or after April first, nineteen hundred eighty-six
7 shall have satisfactorily completed a course approved by the department
8 within the first three months of employment, in the fundamentals of
9 child protection, provided, however, that on or after April first, two
10 thousand twenty-four, such course may be satisfactorily completed
11 through distance learning methods which evince that all participants are
12 in attendance for the duration of the course and are able to ask ques-
13 tions of the instructor. Each county shall be authorized to adopt a
14 local law, ordinance or resolution to provide for a local department of
15 social services to fulfill the training requirement established by this
16 paragraph through a distance learning method, excluding the annual in
17 service training requirement. Such course shall include at least basic
18 training in the principles and techniques of investigations, including
19 relationships with other investigative bodies, legal issues in child
20 protection, and methods of remediation, diagnosis, treatment and
21 prevention. Such regulations shall also specify that all persons
22 employed by a child protective service on or after December first, two
23 thousand six shall satisfactorily complete six hours of annual in
24 service training, beginning in their second year of employment. Such
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10845-01-3
A. 7341 2
1 annual in service training shall include, but is not limited to, review
2 of the protocols for identification and investigation of child abuse and
3 maltreatment, any developments in legal, treatment and prevention issues
4 in child protection, and review and analysis of field experiences of
5 child protective services workers.
6 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
