Establishes the youth in progress advisory board and regional teams for adolescents in foster care to provide mentorship of youths in foster care; requires reporting.

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S1371-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

S1371-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1371

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing the
youth in
progress advisory board and regional teams for adolescents in
foster care
for the state

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill establishes a statewide youth advisory board for adolescents
in foster care. The board shall be a vehicle for youth advocacy and
input on policies affecting youth in care.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1, amends article 6 of the social services law by adding a new
title 1-9. Titled Youth In Progress.

A new section 394, paragraph (1), establishes a. statewide youth in
progress advisory board comprised of youth age 14 and older,
recruited by local social services departments, authorized agencies
serving adolescents in foster care and the office of children and
family services. These youth must be either currently or were
formerly in the foster care system and must be able to discuss
issues, share common experiences and advocate for the concerns of
their peers;

Paragraph (2) and (3), requires the office of children and family
services to create a regional team structure for membership to the
statewide advisory board and create adult mentor partnerships for
each youth member. Outlines youth in progress advisory board
membership composition and meeting requirements;

Paragraph (4)(a)(b), requires the youth in progress advisory board to
create an annual report with recommendations; authorize the office of
children and family services to provide technical assistance to
distribute annual report but prohibit the agency from altering the
report. The commissioner of the office of children and family
services is required to submit to the youth in progress advisory
board, at least sixty days prior to final approval, all non-emergency
rules and regulations for review and recommendations.

�2, establishes an effective date of 60 days after becoming law.

JUSTIFICATION:
Unlike California, Massachusetts and New Jersey, New York has no
formal mechanisms to solicit input from foster care youth about
policies affecting their care. For 16 years, foster care youth from
across New York State voiced their opinions and concerns at the
Office of Children and Families Services (OCFS) regional events know
as "speak outs." Former OCFS commissioner John Johnson, visited many
of these speak outs and listened to stories from youth in attendance.
He too, recognized the need to strengthen and enhance the dialogue
with foster care youth.


In 2003, the Office of Children and Family Services actively sought to
create an opportunity for foster care youth to add their voices to
those of other youth in addressing the issues that impact their
lives. Their new initiative was to develop a statewide foster care
youth leadership advisory team called "Youth In progress" (YIP). This
leadership team was established through the development of a unique
partnership between OCFS and its other affiliates. Together, they
reached out to local districts
and voluntary agencies seeking foster care youth leaders, each with a
adult mentor to complete the team.

Today, the YIP team is comprised of youth leaders from each of the six
OCFS mapped regions. They provide input on foster care policies and
services, in order to make targeted improvements in the quality of
care for foster youth.

Since its formation, Youth In progress has made many accomplishments
and contributions that include presentations at the local, regional,
state and national levels on the problems affecting youth in foster
care and identifying possible solutions. The group has hosted and
presented annual workshops at regional foster care youth speakouts.
YIP has also been actively providing training, as co-trainers and
panelists, for OCFS staff. More importantly, many of the youth who
participate on this leadership team, become a part of a valuable
focus group on foster care issues and serve as foster care experts in
various settings across New York State.

This bill builds upon these accomplishments by formally recognizing
the group within the law.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
First introduced in 2010.
2011-2012: S.370 - Died in Committee

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
No additional
cost to state or local governments.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 60 days after it shall have become a law.

S1371-2013 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    1371

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  MONTGOMERY  -- read twice and ordered printed, and
    when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families

  AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing the
    youth in progress advisory board and regional teams for adolescents in
    foster care for the state

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. Article 6 of the social services law is amended by adding a
  new title 1-B to read as follows:


                                  TITLE 1-B
                              YOUTH IN PROGRESS

  SECTION 394. YOUTH IN PROGRESS.
    S 394. YOUTH IN PROGRESS.  1. THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY
  BOARD  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED FOR THE PURPOSES OF BRINGING TOGETHER YOUTH
  AGE FOURTEEN AND OLDER WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN IN FOSTER CARE IN  ORDER  TO
  DISCUSS  COMMON  EXPERIENCES,  IDEAS  AND  CONCERNS.  THE  LOCAL  SOCIAL
  SERVICES DEPARTMENTS, AUTHORIZED AGENCIES SERVING ADOLESCENTS IN  FOSTER
  CARE, THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, AND CONTRACTORS OF THE
  OFFICE  MAY  RECRUIT  APPROPRIATE  YOUTH  TO PARTICIPATE IN THE YOUTH IN
  PROGRESS ADVISORY BOARD AND REGIONAL TEAMS ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.
    2. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY  SERVICES  SHALL  FACILITATE  THE
  FORMATION  OF REGIONAL YOUTH IN PROGRESS TEAMS AND ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING
  AN ADULT MENTOR FOR EACH  YOUTH  TEAM  MEMBER.  THE  REGIONAL  YOUTH  IN
  PROGRESS TEAMS AND ADULT MENTORS SHALL MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS AND SHALL
  CONDUCT  PERIODIC  REGIONAL FORUMS FOR FOSTER CARE YOUTH TO SPEAK OUT ON
  ISSUES OF INTEREST TO ADOLESCENTS IN FOSTER CARE.
    3. THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY  BOARD,  SHALL  INCLUDE  A
  REPRESENTATIVE  FROM  THE  REGIONAL TEAMS THAT WILL ADVISE THE OFFICE OF

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD03890-01-3

 S. 1371                             2

  CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AND THE COUNCIL ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON
  ISSUES RELATING TO FOSTER CARE. IN EACH OF THE SIX  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN
  AND FAMILY SERVICES REGIONS THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS REGIONAL TEAM OR TEAMS
  SHALL  NOMINATE  UP  TO  FOUR  YOUTH  MEMBERS AND THEIR ADULT MENTORS TO
  PARTICIPATE IN THE STATEWIDE YOUTH IN PROGRESS ADVISORY BOARD. IN  ADDI-
  TION,  FOUR  YOUTH CURRENTLY OR FORMERLY PLACED WITH THE OFFICE OF CHIL-
  DREN AND FAMILY SERVICES' DIVISION OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND OPPORTUNITIES
  FOR YOUTH SHALL BE SELECTED BY THE MEMBERS OF  THE  STATEWIDE  YOUTH  IN
  PROGRESS  ADVISORY  BOARD, TO BE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD'S MEMBER-
  SHIP. THE STATEWIDE YOUTH IN PROGRESS ADVISORY BOARD SHALL  HAVE  UP  TO
  TWENTY-EIGHT YOUTH PARTICIPANTS AND SHALL MEET AT LEAST THREE TIMES EACH
  YEAR.
    4.  (A)  THE  STATEWIDE  YOUTH  IN  PROGRESS BOARD MAY ISSUE AN ANNUAL
  REPORT WITH ITS RECOMMENDATIONS ON ISSUES OF INTEREST TO ADOLESCENTS  IN
  FOSTER  CARE. THE REPORT MAY INCLUDE OTHER INFORMATION ON THE ACTIVITIES
  OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS  BOARD.  THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY
  SERVICES  SHALL  PROVIDE  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE STATEWIDE YOUTH IN
  PROGRESS BOARD,  INCLUDING  DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  ANNUAL  REPORT.  SUCH
  REPORTS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO:

  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE LEGISLATURE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNCIL ON CHILDREN
  AND FAMILIES, AND THE MEMBER AGENCIES OF THE  COUNCIL  ON  CHILDREN  AND
  FAMILIES.  THE  CONTENTS OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS ANNUAL REPORT SHALL BE
  SOLELY THE WORK PRODUCT OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS BOARD AND ITS  MEMBERS,
  AND  SHALL NOT BE REVISED OR EDITED BY THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY
  SERVICES.
    (B) AT LEAST SIXTY DAYS PRIOR TO THE COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  OFFICE  OF
  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY  SERVICES  FINAL APPROVAL OF RULES AND REGULATIONS
  PERTAINING TO FOSTER CARE OR SERVICES FOR ADOLESCENTS WHO  ARE  OR  HAVE
  BEEN  IN  FOSTER  CARE,  OTHER THAN EMERGENCY RULES AND REGULATIONS, THE
  COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT THE PROPOSED  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  TO  THE
  STATEWIDE  YOUTH  IN  PROGRESS  ADVISORY BOARD FOR REVIEW. THE STATEWIDE
  YOUTH IN PROGRESS BOARD MAY REPORT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS  THEREON  TO  THE
  COMMISSIONER  OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES WITHIN SIXTY
  DAYS.
    S 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
  have become a law.