|
REFERENCE TITLE: foster youth permanency project team |
|
State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session 2024
|
|
HB 2704 |
|
|
|
Introduced by Representative Gress
|
An Act
amending title 8, chapter 4, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 8-469; relating to the department of child safety.
(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 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 8-469, to read:
8-469. Foster youth permanency project team; duties; confidentiality
A. The department shall establish a foster youth permanency project team to implement solutions to remove barriers to permanency for children who are likely to be in the custody of the department when the child turns eighteen years of age or to begin participating in the extended foster care program pursuant to section 8-521.02.
B. The director shall appoint department staff and volunteers who have experience or expertise in child welfare to serve as team members and may appoint the following members:
1. Members who have expertise or experience in social work.
2. Members who are attorneys and who have expertise in representing children or experience in child welfare law.
3. Members who have served as guardians ad litem.
4. members who have served as court appointed special advocates.
C. The foster youth permanency project team shall do all of the following:
1. Develop a methodology for selecting those children who have the greatest likelihood of turning eighteen years of age while in the custody of the department without having obtained permanency through adoption or a permanent guardianship pursuant to section 8-872.
2. Thoroughly review the child's case file.
3. Convene an initial foster youth permanency project team meeting that includes the child, the child's caregivers, the child's attorney, department personnel, guardians ad litem and court appointed special advocates, as applicable and necessary. At the initial meeting, the foster youth permanency project team shall identify barriers to permanency for each child selected and determine the assistance, resources and tools needed for each child to achieve permanency.
4. Establish an individualized and written permanency plan for the child.
5. Convene ongoing meetings of the foster youth permanency project team to evaluate the child's progress towards permanency and to amend the child's permanency action plan as necessary.
6. Identify specific options to place a child with individuals or families who are willing and able to provide permanency to a child selected by the foster youth permanency project team.
D. The foster youth permanency project team shall have access to all department documents and personnel that are necessary to perform the duties of the foster youth permanency project team.
E. The foster youth permanency project team may enter into contracts with any of the following:
1. A child or adolescent psychiatrist who has expertise in effective therapies and assessing proper use of psychotropic medications.
2. An Attorney who has expertise in social security benefits, education, immigration, disability, adoption and department and child welfare policies.
3. A private investigator who can successfully locate relatives or kin of children who were not previously identified as placement options.
F. The foster youth permanency project team shall take reasonable steps to prevent unwarranted invasions of privacy and to protect the privacy and dignity of children who are the subject of a permanency action plan.