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2019 Session

Budget Amendments - SB1100 (Member Request)

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Chief Patron: Howell
Establish a Foster Care Caseload Standard for Local Departments

Item 341 #2s

Item 341 #2s

First Year - FY2019 Second Year - FY2020
Health and Human Resources
Department of Social Services FY2019 $0 FY2020 $1,850,000 GF
FY2019 $0 FY2020 $1,850,000 NGF

Language
Page 377, line 45, strike "$487,089,788" and insert "$490,789,788".

Page 378, after line 40, insert:

"I.1.  The Department of Social Services shall: (i) identify local departments with caseworkers who have caseloads higher than 15 children per worker; (ii) provide assistance to those local departments in reducing their caseloads; and (iii) identify by November 1, 2019 specific strategies the state can take to address staffing issues that cannot be immediately addressed.

2.  Out of this approrpiation, $1,850,000 from the general fund and $1,850,000 from nongeneral funds the second year shall be provided to the Department of Social Services to establish a foster care caseload standard for local caseworkers.  The funding shall be allocated to local departments of social services to assist in meeting the standard."



Explanation

(This amendment directs DSS to identify local departments with caseworkers who have caseloads higher than 15 children per worker, assisting these local departments in reducing these caseloads, and identifying by November 1, 2019 specific strategies the state can take to address staffing issues that cannot be immediately addressed. The amendment also funds a foster care caseload standard. This is based on a JLARC recommendation from the report on the foster care system.)