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2015 Session

Budget Amendments - HB1400 (Conference Report)

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Eliminate New Initiative to Expand Foster Care and Adoption Assistance

Item 339 #1c

Item 339 #1c

First Year - FY2015 Second Year - FY2016
Health and Human Resources
Department of Social Services FY2015 $0 FY2016 ($10,581,962) GF
FY2015 $0 FY2016 ($10,102,477) NGF

Language
Page 307, line 48, strike "$199,369,543" and insert "$178,685,104".
Page 309, after line 8, insert:
"K.  The Commissioner, Department of Social Services, shall report on all efforts undertaken by the agency to increase adoptions of children from foster care.  The report shall include the number, ages and other appropriate demographic data of children in foster care who are eligible for adoption, available information on the number who have special needs, and barriers to adoption of children in foster care.  In addition, the report shall include information on current efforts to help foster care children who age out of the system transition to adulthood and options to improve that transition. The report shall include current trends for this population as compared to the general population related to employment, secondary and post-secondary educational attainment, living arrangements, dependence on public assistance, early parenthood and family situations, health care access, and involvement with the criminal justice system to the extent data are available.  Furthermore, the department shall analyze the adequacy of independent living services and other current efforts to assist foster care youth with the transition to independence and provide recommendations to modify the appropriate services and programs in order to improve outcomes for this population in their transition to adulthood. The department shall engage other appropriate state agencies and stakeholders as necessary to develop the report.  The department shall submit the report to the Governor and Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by November 1, 2015."


Explanation
(This amendment eliminates $10.6 million from the general fund and $10.1 million from nongeneral funds the second year for the Department of Social Services to expand foster care and adoption assistance to children between the ages of 19 and 21 that was contained in the introduced budget. Companion amendments in Item 334 eliminate language implementing this new initiative and restore funding in Item 289 to the Comprehensive Services Act program which was reduced in the introduced budget as part of this initiative. Language directs the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services to report on efforts to increase adoptions of children from foster care and efforts to help children transition from foster care to independence.)