Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs- House

I have we have four Bills to here at your bills that I'll be running from myself and two are far Representative Barker he cannot be with us today and asked me to run her bills so therefore I am asking our ranking member Representative Mary Bentley to take the chair. Our represent fight you're welcome to present your bill or represented Barker's bill whichever one you want to start with. So we'll see our house bill thirteen fifty eight dollars. Good afternoon. I'm presenting house bill thirteen fifty eight this bill is largely a clean that bill that will clarify the eligibility requirements for the extended foster care program this is for youths ages eighteen through twenty one so that the language aligns with the requirements listed in federal law it also gives the conditions under which a youth may return to extended foster care. The agency to which referrals will be made for juveniles who do not have the capacity to transition to adulthood independently this would be the office of public guardian rather than adult protective services and finally it clarifies that the youth in the custody of the Department of Human Services which we call DHS may share information about his or her experiences with the Department at his or her discretion after consultation with his or her attorney and line item and I want to ask the Department DCFS your child and family services to come to the table with me to get additional information on this bill. You please come forward to help represent fight with the bill. One is to please announce who you are for the record please. Good afternoon my name is Kristen Harper an assistant director with the Division of Children and Family Services. Represented by an expert summary of the bill and I she stated it is largely a cleanup bill pertaining to you and who opts to stay in our extended foster care program up to the age of twenty one and ends aligning the language with that with state law with federal law as well as the other and revisions that she reference and I'll be happy to take any questions the committee members may have any questions from the committee. Represents spring you're you're welcome. Thank you Miss madam chair of would you provide clarification of what is what this bill is doing with respect to Page two lines eight through twelve looks like is taken out. An eighty hour requirement and requiring something else rather than the eighty hours so would you could you tell me what but if in this instance yes ma'am so essentially again this would just be aligning the requirements for extended care with that and federal in those requirements are that either the U. is and still in high school or finishing a GED or enrolled in a postsecondary institution or locational program or enrolled in a program designed to recruit to remove in app barriers to employment such as job or or finely and working at least eighty hours a month. So that those are the requirements and federal law we are now trying to transcribe over into state law and the practice actually is not changing we have largely gone by this federal regulations and that it has some cost sometimes caused confusion when the state law hasn't had that exact language so we're trying to eliminate that confusion are thank you. Thank you this represents a candy you're welcome. Thank you madam chair I'm just so I can understand a little bit better can you give me idea how many Eighteen to twenty one year old generally do we have who choose to stay in foster care jurisdiction also do they stay with those foster parents or what's has that process with sure as of this morning we had two hundred and forty for youth ages eighteen to twenty one and in foster care and that is a little bit more about the average and but we're hoping that that continues to go up we actually prefer the youth to stay an excellent foster care for that additional support am I would say averages about two hundred twenty five on any given day but again as of as of this morning it was two hundred and forty four as to their placements that theories there are some who choose to stay in foster homes there are others you will move into apartments or dorms at their enrolled in college and and then we just recently began a new program in the fall and are supervised independent living program so those are congregate care providers who am provided that independent living space but still have additional support for this you helping them locate a job for example helping them with job interview skills for example. Represent infirmity welcome ask questions. So this bill only pertain to foster children that choose to stay in care like when to turn eighteen and they like to stay in care correct yes these are the extended care programs and it is an option to do not they're not required to stand here follow. Certainly is there anything that we can open this up to or say a child in care turns eighteen leaves goes on for a little bit realizes how tough life is and wants to come back that's a situation my wife and our foster parents for six years and we're currently dealing with that right now so that is currently an option and it is the attorney and light in the House to file that petition now you will see and and as Representative fight described and there is one clarification in this bill regarding returning to care and that is that the you have to be eighteen or older when they left they actually have to age out but yes that is currently an option actually not be happy to speak with you if you need any assistance with that thank you. Are there any other questions from members. Is there anyone else like to speak for against this bill. I would like to close for your bill. I am close for the bill and I make a motion to pass. We have a motion to pass on the floor members for house bill thirteen fifty eight all those in favor say aye. All those opposed. Represented by you pass your bill thank you madam chair thank you Committee. Good luck to proceed represented fight with house bill thirteen fifty nine you're welcome to present thank you madam chair house bill thirteen fifty nine will assist the Division of Children and Family Services in better supporting the state's foster parents by allowing certain information to be released to foster parents regarding children who were previously placed in their home such as information needed for tax filing purposes and I know just this week I got an email from a foster parent very upset over this issue so this will be good news for her as well as for many other foster parents throughout the state. At the existing law only allows for this type of release of information for children currently placed in the home this legislation would give the agency the ability to provide limited information to foster parents who have a legitimate need as determined by DCFS for such information and I'm going to the also ask miss Harper to get any further clarification of this bill miss Harper please identify yourself for the record and then explain the bill further thank you. Mr Harper assistant director for the Division of Children and Family Services at once again and as you'll see it's a fairly short bill and Representative fight didn't excellent job describing it and and yes we know that this has been an ongoing issue for our resource parents also referred to as foster parents and and they play such a critical role and within our system and so we wanted to be able to support them in this way and by providing this information and this the intent is effective tax filing purposes and but it is written broadly enough so that if some other ski specific situation were to arise and we determined that there was a legitimate need that information and the agency could five to get that as well and again this is specific to children who had been placed in their homes so I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Represent Christiansen you're welcome to ask your questions. any other members or have questions. Is there anybody on sex speak for against this bill. Represented by would like to close for your bill yes thank you in closing I would like to mention that DCFS mac with all stakeholders including Arkansas advocates for children and families Arkansas children's hospital Arkansas Commission on child abuse rape and domestic violence Arkansas according treatment programs state police crimes against children division the attorney and line items casa program child safety centers child advocacy centers the DHS office of chief counsel the governor's office juvenile judges parent council program and then had in the opposition to this bill. And in that I am closed and I would ask for a good that make a motion do pass. Members referred and explain the bill house bill thirteen fifty nine with the wishes of the committee. If you for the bill say aye. Those opposed. Congratulations to bill has passed represented by you're welcome to present your bill house bill twelve seventy at hand though a Representative Barker will be pleased for her bills to pass when she's can't be with us. This bill is necessary to ensure the safety of children in foster care you required congregate care placements what we mean by that is what's commonly referred to as a child care institution RCC I it will require all CC eyes to comply with the provision of the federal family first prevention services act that requires child maltreatment and criminal background checks for any adult working in the C. C. I. previously we had just said those who have direct and unsupervised contact with children that's in current Arkansas law so we're saying now a child maltreatment a criminal background check for any adult who works in one of these facilities this will not be a significant change for current Division of Children and Family Services placement providers because since October of twenty nineteen DCFS has had this requirement within its placement provider contracts at fairly recently implemented online background check an additional live scan machine we have fifty three state wide at which fingerprints are taken electronically for the federal background check should make any impact to non D. C. F. S. providers relatively minimal and again I will let S. miss Harper for any additional information. Good afternoon crystal Harper and again I would I would also mention as represent a fight said earlier and with this bill and and the next we also met with the stakeholders that she previously referenced and then of them had opposition to this bill and this will bring us in line with the federal family first prevention services act and then at the end of the day it's about safety in making sure that our children placed in these concrete here facilities and that we that we are in fact ensuring their safety I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Any questions from the committee. Is there anyone in the office of the speak for against this bill. Fite rejects to close for your bill I am close I'd appreciate a good vote I make a motion to pass. Members with the wishes of the committee all those in favor say aye. Those opposed. Russian fight you have passed your bill house bill twelve seventy. And you're welcome to go for grand slam a House bill twelve seventy eight okay. Thank you madam chair. This bill will expand the criteria for an inactive determination of a child maltreatment investigation it will allow the Division of Children and Family Services non is D. C. F. **** and crimes against children division investigators to more accurately describe the outcome of a child maltreatment investigation when the alleged offender are alleged victim cannot be located or identified. Currently a child maltreatment investigation can only be determined in active if the alleged offender is unable to be located or identified because the alleged maltreatment occurred within five years ago or in another state this current definition is too limiting since there is not another determination type to accurately capture situations in which the alleged offender or alleged victim cannot be located or identified if the alleged maltreatment occurred within the past five years and in the state of Arkansas this will not be a requirement it is only an option for investigative staffed the true or unsubstantiated determination cannot be established without interviewing the alleged offender or alleged victim. We will also we also were including minor language clean up around inactive investigation determination and we again met with all stakeholders that I previously listed in the other bill and we did not have any opposition to this bill. And miss Harper is also available for any questions. Are there any questions from committee members. Sir anyone the audience would like to speak for or against this bill. Representative I would like to close for your bill I am close for this bill and I make a motion to pass. Members we have House Bill twelve thirty before us all those in favour II all those opposed. Represent Fite congratulations you pass house bill twelve seventy eight thank you for your hard work on this legislation thank you madam chair thank you Committee. Thank you for.