What's happening
This bill requires schools to receive written notification when a student is placed in foster care, ensuring confidentiality of the information.
Why it matters
Improves school support for foster youth. By requiring prompt and detailed notification to school principals when a student enters foster care, educators can better understand and address the unique academic and emotional needs of foster children from day one.
Promotes educational stability. The law mandates that schools be informed about a child’s previous schooling and home district, helping to coordinate transitions and maintain continuity in education, which is crucial for students facing disruption due to foster placement.
Strengthens confidentiality protections. The bill explicitly restricts the sharing of foster care status and related personal information, aiming to safeguard the child’s privacy and reduce the risk of stigma or discrimination within the school environment.
Clarifies agency responsibilities. By specifying which social services or agency officials must notify schools and what information must be included, the bill establishes clear accountability, reducing confusion and ensuring timely compliance.
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Headline styles
Notify Schools of Foster Placement
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to children and families
- Referred to children and families
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Notify Schools of Foster Placement
In Senate Committee · Children And Families · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1561
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. RICHARDSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to written notification to schools of a student's placement in foster care
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 405 to read as follows:
§ 405. Notification to schools of foster care placement. 1. Whenever a child placed in foster family care or an agency boarding home or group home who is a public charge in a social services district is admitted to a school, an official within that social services district or an official of the authorized agency acting on the child's behalf in boarding out such child, shall send written notification to the principal or principal's designee of the school in which the child is enrolled that said child is in foster family care or an agency boarding home or group home. Such notification must be received by the principal or principal's designee no later than the first day during which the child is in attendance at school and must include the following:
(a) the name of such child;
(b) the date of birth of such child, if ascertainable, or his or her apparent age;
(c) the names and address of the foster parents or, where applicable, the name of the child care agency and the address of the agency boarding home or group home;
(d) the name and location of the school district in which such child resided at the time he or she became a public charge in foster care;
(e) the name and location of the school last attended by such child prior to his or her current admission; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04511-01-9
A. 1561 2
(f) the name and location of the local social services commissioner caring for such child, and the name and location of any authorized agency acting on his or her behalf.
2. Any information gathered or disseminated about a child placed in foster family care or an agency boarding home or group home pursuant to this section shall be treated in a confidential manner and shall not be distributed, made available or disclosed by the social services district, authorized agency or school other than as specifically permitted by subdivision one of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.