What's happening
This bill requires social services to provide written, confidential notification to schools when a student is placed in foster care.
Why it matters
Promotes smoother school transitions for foster youth. by ensuring schools are quickly informed about a child’s foster care placement and key details (like prior schools and foster parent info), allowing staff to better support the student from day one.
Improves coordination between schools and social services. , providing educators with accurate, up-to-date contacts for the child’s caseworkers and caregivers, which can help in addressing academic, social, or emotional needs more promptly.
Reinforces student privacy and dignity. by requiring all information shared under this law to be kept confidential, limiting disclosure only to those who need to know to support the child’s welfare and educational experience.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Notify Schools of Foster Placement
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
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 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
4597
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 15, 2019
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, BAILEY -- 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 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
S. 4597 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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to written notification to schools of a student's placement in foster care
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to notify the Principal or designated school official of the initial school enrollment of a child in foster care.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Amends social services law by adding a new section 405. Requires social services agencies to notify schools whenever a child in foster care is enrolled in that school.
Section 2. Effective Date
Existing law
None
Justification
A study done by the NYS Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children shows that children in foster care generally do not perform as well in school as other children. Quite often, these children must deal with frequent changes in school placements which lead to delays in school enrollment, gaps in attendance, and overall poor academic performance. in addition, the study points out that school success for children involves more than just academics. School success must also involve a child's social, emotional, and physical well-being and safety. Children in foster care are often distracted by worries, fears, and a sense of loss associated with separation from their family and placement in foster care. Children who have adult and peer relations in school are more likely to view their schools as a supportive and safe haven. It is therefore essential that school officials be notified whenever a child in foster care enters their school. By notifying designated school offi- cials about a new student's foster care status, officials will be better able to manage the needs of children in foster care and ensure that these children receive the services they need to be healthy and success- ful individuals.
Prior legislative history
2011: A.7645- New Bill 2012: A.7645a- Referred to Children and Families / S.7270 (Diaz) Referred to Senate Social Services 2013-14:A.2995- Referred to Social Services Law 2015-16:A.9988- Referred to Social Services 2017-18:S5727 -ReferredtoChildren and Families
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
On the one hundred and twentieth day after bill becomes law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.