Legislature(2017 - 2018)HOUSE FINANCE 519
04/13/2017 01:30 PM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB127 | |
| HB47 | |
| HB151 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 127 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 47 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 155 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 151 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HOUSE BILL NO. 151
"An Act relating to the duties of the Department of
Health and Social Services; relating to training and
workload standards for employees of the Department of
Health and Social Services; relating to foster care
licensing; relating to placement of a child in need of
aid; relating to the rights and responsibilities of
foster parents; relating to subsidies for adoption or
guardianship of a child in need of aid; requiring the
Department of Health and Social Services to provide
information to a child or person released from the
department's custody; and providing for an effective
date."
4:19:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LES GARA, SPONSOR explained detail about the
need for the bill. He stressed it was not prudent to have
youth see a different foster parent. The bill was a fix to
try to make the system work. Without the bill the negative
consequences would continue to occur. He stressed the state
could not keep doing it. He remarked a caseworker could
handle about 12 to 15 cases - they could not handle the
number of cases they currently had. The caseworkers on
average in the Wasilla office handled 43 families; in other
areas the caseload was double what it should be.
4:28:17 PM
Vice-Chair Gara continued to address the bill. in New
Jersey, which many people saw as the gold standard, they
gave 6 to 8 weeks of training to caseworkers. Alaska did
about 2 to 3 weeks. The bill specified Alaska should do 6
to 8 weeks. The caseloads of new caseworkers were limited
to prevent burnout. He stated things went on too long at
OCS because it was an agency in crisis. He provided a
scenario where foster parents had quit because of problems.
4:35:21 PM
Vice-Chair Gara continued to address the bill. He could not
in good conscience recommend leaving the system the same. A
child did not deserve to be bounced between homes. He
thought the fiscal note would be $12 million to $15 million
and he had been nervous. However, due to federal funds and
other, the fiscal note would be approximately $5 million.
Part of the bill had to be dropped. He continued that there
were youth who were 18 to 20 who did not have homes. Some
of those kids would end up in a permanent home, but at $7.8
million it was not the best use of money, which hurt to
say. The fiscal note would disappear.
4:39:08 PM
Vice-Chair Gara addressed the original fiscal note for
caseworkers to meet the standard - he had worked with the
department that had been trying to determine the federal
matching rate. He planned to introduce to raise the
caseload standard to 13 to come up with an affordable
fiscal note. It would still be far superior to the current
caseloads. He reiterated the changes that would mean
roughly $4.2 million for caseworkers and training. Some
office space and equipment would come with that as well. A
caseworker was supposed to look out to see if a family
member could care for the child; often the family member
would become the adoptive parent. The bill would require a
supervisor to double check if a family member was
available.
4:42:32 PM
Representative Wilson agreed there was a problem. She
pointed to page 5, lines 16 to 20 of the bill. She asked
who determined appropriate placement.
Vice-Chair Gara replied that the placement standard was
about what was the best interest for the child.
Representative Wilson asked for the statutory definition of
"best interest for a child."
Vice-Chair Gara did not know the statutory definition. //
He deferred to the department for detail.
CHRISTY LAWTON, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES,
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, did not have the
definition on hand. She would follow up.
4:47:20 PM
Representative Wilson placed concerns on the record related
to the fiscal note. She wondered why there was not a fiscal
note from the Public Defenders' Agency and other. She was
also concerned about qualifications of workers. She
wondered how the bill would impact supervised visits.
4:50:27 PM
Vice-Chair Gara spoke to the fiscal notes for the other
departments - there were a shortage of guardians. He knew
of at least one caseworker who had not known looking for a
family member was a part of their job.
Representative Wilson was not debating that portion. She
did not believe all of the people who would be hired. She
addressed complaints that came in. There was a possibility
more investigations were done. It had happened in the past.
She was not stating the issue was right or wrong.
4:55:01 PM
Vice-Chair Gara stated that the first sixty days that the
child was in foster care were assigned an assessment worker
who was required to develop a case plan. That person often
did not have time to meet with the parents. He hoped that
the caseload standard would be 13 cases.
Ms. Lawton elaborated stated that the reduction of case
loads and the addition of staff would allow for more
visitation, because those workers could potentially have
time to supervise some of those visits, with the possible
flexibility in the parent home.
Representative Wilson asked how many investigations were
currently investigated.
Ms. Lawton asked for clarification.
Representative Wilson clarified her question.
Ms. Lawton answered the department screened roughly 10,000.
5:00:06 PM
Representative Pruitt asked how to deal with the additional
burden of new requirements.
Vice-Chair Gara replied that the bill aimed to lessen bill.
He had never spoken to his first foster family and had been
taught that he was not supposed to maintain contact with
them. He regretted it.
5:03:23 PM
Representative Pruitt looked at Section 10, and queried the
roll of psychological parents and grandparents as it
related to foster families.
Vice-Chair Gara asked for further clarification.
Representative Pruitt relayed that there was a case of the
psychological grandparents rejecting children.
Co-Chair Foster handed the gavel to Representative
Kawasaki.
Vice-Chair Gara that the section tried to limit the number
of children removed from their family. He provided a
scenario where a grandparent lived at home. Section 10
specified the child should be allowed to remain at home.
5:07:25 PM
Representative Pruitt spoke to trying to determine the
definition of family member.
Vice-Chair Gara answered there was no attempt in the bill
to change the definition of family member.
HB 151 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
Representative Kawasaki addressed the schedule for the
following day.
Representative Wilson asked about the amendment due date.
5:10:00 PM
AT EASE
5:12:36 PM
RECONVENED
Vice-Chair Gara relayed he would aim to remove the portion
related to adoption subsidies and changing caseworker
standards to 13 instead of 12.
Representative Wilson wondered whether the statutes would
be based on appropriation to meet that standard.
Vice-Chair Gara replied that the fiscal note would reflect
the actual cost for meeting the caseload.
Co-Chair Foster communicated amendments would be due by
noon on Saturday. He addressed the schedule for the
following day. He recessed the meeting to a call of the
chair [note: the meeting never reconvened].