Chapter 182
2010 -- S 2209
Enacted 06/25/10
A N A C T
RELATING TO
STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT--DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES --
FOSTER PARENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS
Introduced By: Senators Miller, Maher, Perry, Sosnowski, and Pichardo
Date Introduced: February 09, 2010
It is enacted by the
General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE
AFFAIRS AND
GOVERNMENT" is hereby
amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
CHAPTER
72.10
DEPARTMENT
OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES -- FOSTER PARENTS’ BILL OF RIGHTS
42-72.10-1.
Policy Issues. – (a) The
importance of foster parents in the care and nurturing of
children who are in the care and custody
of the department of children, youth and families. In an
effort to ensure that foster parents are
treated with dignity, respect and trust in their work for the
department and/or the department’s
designated child placing agency, the general assembly hereby
directs the department to
promulgate through policy, rule and/or regulations a statement
of foster parents' rights by no later
than January 1, 2011. Said policy, rule and/or regulations
shall address at a minimum issues
related to the following:
(1) The role of the
foster parent within the child welfare team;
(2) Foster parent
training;
(3) The timely
sharing of available appropriate information on a foster child with the
foster parent, where the information could reasonably be expected
to impact the care provided to
the child and/or the health and safety of the child
and/or a foster family member;
(4) Confidentiality
regarding a foster parent’s personal issues as provided by law;
(5) Access to
services and supports to address the needs of the children in their care,
including but not limited to, 24-hour emergency and urgent
telephone support;
(6) Timely
notifications regarding meetings and court dates which pertain to the child’s
service planning and the ability to participate in those
meetings as appropriate;
(7) Timely financial
reimbursement as provided by department policies and procedures;
and
(8) Investigations of
alleged licensing violations and/or child abuse in the foster home
and the appeals process for such investigations.
(b) Statement
Required. By no later than March 1, 2011, the department shall provide all
current foster parents a copy of the promulgated statement of
foster parents’ rights and ensure that
this is provided to all prospective foster parents at the
time of their initial foster parent training or
in the case of kinship foster parents at the time of the
relative child’s placement.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC00202
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