HB 4758

Abstract

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. In provisions requiring the Department of Children and Family Services to submit annual reports to the General Assembly regarding youth in care waiting for placement or psychiatric hospitalization, expands the information required in the reports to include the number of youth in care who remained overnight in temporary living spaces not authorized under the Child Care Act of 1969 solely because the Department cannot locate an appropriate placement for the youth. Provides that temporary living spaces not authorized under the Child Care Act of 1969 include, but are not limited to, Department or private agency offices or welcome centers. Defines "remaining overnight" to mean being present in the temporary living space at 1:00 a.m. Provides that at a minimum, the report shall include the following information regarding each youth: age, region, date of stay, length of time the youth was in the temporary living space, date and time the youth was moved from the temporary living space, the reason for the youth remaining overnight, and the type of placement or setting the youth was in immediately after leaving the temporary living space. Requires the report to reflect the number of unique youth involved, the number of episodes that occurred fitting the criteria, and the number of unique youth involved in multiple episodes. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to submit in its annual reports information on the number of youth in care who remained overnight in temporary living spaces not licensed (rather than not authorized) under the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that unauthorized temporary living spaces include, but are not limited to, Department or licensed child welfare agency offices or welcome centers (rather than Department or private agency offices or welcome centers).