What's happening
This bill requires annual public reports from state and NYC agencies detailing outcomes and services for children in their care.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and accountability. By requiring detailed annual reports on children’s outcomes and services, the bill enables lawmakers, advocates, and the public to better assess the effectiveness of state and NYC child welfare systems.
Provides critical data on vulnerable populations. The reports will include information such as adoption rates, number of runaways, mental health placements, and juvenile justice involvement, offering a clearer picture of how well the systems support at-risk children.
Supports data-driven policy and oversight. With annual, standardized information on metrics like educational enrollment, living arrangements, and discharge outcomes, policymakers and stakeholders can identify areas needing improvement and target resources more effectively.
Empowers families and communities. Publicly available data on child welfare outcomes can help families, advocates, and service providers make informed decisions and push for changes that directly affect children’s well-being.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to children and families
- Reported and committed to finance
- 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.
Require Annual Child Welfare Reports
In Assembly Committee · Children And Families · Sponsor Diana Richardson
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4476
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 12, 2019
Introduced by Sens. MONTGOMERY, KENNEDY, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the executive law and the New York city charter, in relation to directing the office of children and family services and the New York city administration for children's services to submit annual reports concerning information related to children served by their respective programs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 501 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
17. To submit a report to the governor, the chair of the senate committee on children and families and the chair of the assembly committee on children and families concerning information related to children served by the office of children and family services. Such report shall be submitted by January thirty-first of each year. Such report shall be available on the office of children and family services website by March thirty-first of each year and shall provide information on the following for the preceding calendar year, or for the nearest measurable twelve month period, including, but not limited to:
(a) number of individuals entering assistance;
(b) number of individuals exiting assistance;
(c) number of transfers between facilities;
(d) number of participant runaways;
(e) adoption rate;
(f) number, location and living arrangements of participants who are aging out of assistance;
(g) number, location and living arrangements of participants discharged to kinship care;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04450-01-9
S. 4476 2
(h) number, location and living arrangements of participants discharged through adoption;
(i) number and location of participants discharged due to sentence in jail or prison;
(j) number of participants enrolled in an educational program and the type of program;
(k) number, location and living arrangements of participants diagnosed with mental health issues and/or placed in facilities for mental health, substance abuse or any other treatment; and
(l) number of participants with juvenile justice involvement and the type of involvement.
§ 2. Subdivision f of section 618 of the New York city charter, as added by local law number 61 of the city of New York for the year 2010, is amended and a new subdivision g is added to read as follows:
f. plan, develop, conduct and supervise programs, including diversion and aftercare for previously detained juveniles, for the prevention of juvenile delinquency and juvenile crime and for youths arrested, charged, adjudicated or convicted of having committed delinquent or criminal acts, and conduct research and demonstration projects related thereto[.];
g. submit a report to the governor, the chair of the senate committee on children and families and the chair of the assembly committee on children and families concerning information related to children served by the New York city administration for children's services. Such report shall be submitted by January thirty-first of each year. Such report shall be available on the New York city administration for children's services website by March thirty-first of each year and shall provide information on the following for the preceding calendar year, or for the nearest measurable twelve month period, including, but not limited to:
(i) number of individuals entering assistance;
(ii) number of individuals exiting assistance;
(iii) number of transfers between facilities;
(iv) number of participant runaways;
(v) adoption rate;
(vi) number, location and living arrangements of participants who are aging out of assistance;
(vii) number, location and living arrangements of participants discharged to kinship care;
(viii) number, location and living arrangements of participants discharged through adoption;
(ix) number and location of participants discharged due to sentence in jail or prison;
(x) number of participants enrolled in an educational program and the type of program;
(xi) number, location and living arrangements of participants diagnosed with mental health issues or placed in facilities for mental health, substance abuse or any other treatment; and
(xii) number of participants with juvenile justice involvement and the type of involvement.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law and the New York city charter, in relation to directing the office of children and family services and the New York city administration for children's services to submit annual reports concerning information related to children served by their respective programs
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL::
This legislation directs the Office of Children family Services and the New York City Administration for Children's Services to submit annual reports concerning information related to children served by their respective programs.
Read the full memo (712 words)
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS::
Section 1: Section 50 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 17, which requires submission of an annual report to the Governor, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Children and Families and the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Children and Families concerning information related to children served by the Office of Children and Family Services. Such report shall be submitted by January 31 of each year and it shall be available on their website by March 31 of each year
Section 2: Subdivision f of section 618 of the New York City charter is amended and a new subdivision g is added, which requires submission of an annual report the Governor, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Children and Families and the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Chil- dren and Families concerning information related to children served by the New York City Administration for Children's Services. Such report shall be submitted by January 31 of each year and it shall he available on their website by March 31 of each year.
Section 3: This act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Currently, New York State's Permanency legislation, Chapter 3 of the Laws of 2005 requires providing life skills services to foster care, youth beginning at age 14, regardless of permanency goal. While this type of independent living skill is helpful for children in foster only a small number of youth go to college or start a career plan and have the opportunity to use their independent living skills. According to the Children's Rights, a non-profit national organization for children's welfare issues, 12-30 percent of the youth that age out of foster care without a permanent family straggled with homelessness, 40-63 percent did not complete high school, 50 percent experienced extreme financial hardship, 31-42 percent had been arrested, and 18-26 percent were incar- cerated. Therefore, it is essential for the state agencies to keep track of children who are discharged from state care.
A great amount of state resources are dedicated to the State's care of our children and youth. however, there is a lack of accountability and transparency with regard to how those resources are applied to benefit those populations. This legislation will require the state agencies to directly report to the Governor and the Legislature every year in order to improve the quality of children's well-being in state care as well as those who are recently discharged from state care. It also attempts to monitor and assess those children and youth's abilities to apply their life skills learned while in state care. This will enable the state agencies to evaluate the needs of children and youth in state care. Additionally, the state agencies will have a chance to recommend any systemic change for the welfare of children going forward, if necessary.
This legislation requires the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and the New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS) to track all children and youth in state care as well as those who are discharged from state care. The information the OCFS and ACS have to collect include, but not limited to: number of individuals entering assistance, number of individuals exiting assistance, number of trans- fers between facilities, number of participant runaways, adoption rate, location and living arrangements of participants who are aging out of assistance, number and location of participants discharged due to sentence in jail or prison, number of participants enrolled in an educa- tional program, number and location of participants diagnosed with mental health issues and/or placed in facilities for mental health, etc.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS::
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.