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REFERENCE TITLE: children; out-of-home placement |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-third Legislature Second Regular Session 2018
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SB 1380 |
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Introduced by Senator Petersen
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AN ACT
amending Title 8, chapter 4, article 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 8-514.06; amending section 8‑521, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to child welfare and placement.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 8, chapter 4, article 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 8-514.06, to read:
8-514.06. Out-of-home placement; documents
A. If a child who is in the custody of the department and who is at least sixteen years of age is placed in out‑of‑home placement, the out‑of‑home placement provider shall obtain and provide to the child all of the following within sixty days after the child is placed with the out‑of‑home placement provider:
1. A social security card.
2. The child's birth certificate.
3. A nonoperating identification license.
4. The child's immunization records.
B. If an out‑of‑home placement provider requests a document pursuant to subsection A of this section, the department of health services or the department of transportation, as applicable, shall provide the out‑of‑home placement provider with the requested document that the relevant department maintains.
C. The department of child safety shall reimburse the out‑of‑home provider for any fees charged by an agency to provide a document prescribed by subsection A of this section.
Sec. 2. Section 8-521, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
8-521. Independent living program; conditions; eligibility; rules; case management unit; reports
A. The department or a licensed child welfare agency may establish an independent living program for youths who are the subject of a dependency petition or who are adjudicated dependent and are all of the following:
1. In the custody of the department, a licensed child welfare agency or a tribal child welfare agency.
2. At least seventeen sixteen years of age.
3. Employed or full‑time students.
B. The independent living program may consist of a residential program of less than twenty‑four hours a day supervision for youths under the supervision of the department through a licensed child welfare agency or a foster home under contract with the department. Under the independent living program, the youth is not required to reside at a licensed child welfare agency or foster home.
C. The director or the director's designee shall review and approve any recommendation to the court that a youth in the custody of the department be ordered to an independent living program.
D. For a youth to participate in an independent living program, the court must order such a disposition pursuant to section 8‑845.
E. The department of child safety, a licensed child welfare agency or a tribal child welfare agency having custody of the youth shall provide the cost of care as required by section 8‑453, subsection A, paragraph 9, subdivision (b), item (iii) for each child placed in an independent living program pursuant to this section, except that the monthly amount provided shall not exceed the average monthly cost of purchased services for the child in the three months immediately preceding placement in an independent living program.
F. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to title 41, chapter 6 to carry out this section.
H. The local foster care review boards shall review at least once every six months the case of each youth participating in the independent living program.
I. The department shall establish an educational case management unit within the division consisting of two case managers to develop and coordinate educational case management plans for youths participating in the independent living program and to assist youths in the program to do the following:
1. Graduate from high school.
2. Pass the statewide assessment pursuant to section 15‑741.
3. Apply for postsecondary financial assistance.
4. Apply for postsecondary education.
J. The department shall prepare a report on or before March 1 of each year that contains the following information for the previous calendar year:
1. The number of children in the program.
2. The number of children in the program by age and grade.
3. The number of children in the program by county of residence.
4. The number of children in the program who graduated from high school.
5. The number of children in the program who received a general equivalency diploma.
6. The number of children in the program enrolled in postsecondary education.
K. The department shall submit a copy of the report prescribed in subsection J of this section to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the secretary of state.
L. The out‑of‑home provider for a youth who is at least sixteen years of age shall work with independent living programs that are focused on career, education and future development planning to assist the youth in meeting program goals.