Bill Text: TX HB3750 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a pilot program to recruit young adults as foster parents.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-03 - Referred to Human Services [HB3750 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB3750-Introduced.html
| 85R13024 MM-D | ||
| By: Giddings | H.B. No. 3750 | |
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| relating to a pilot program to recruit young adults as foster | ||
| parents. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 264, Family Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 264.1252 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 264.1252. FOSTER PARENT RECRUITMENT PILOT PROGRAM. | ||
| (a) In this section, "young adult caregiver" means a person who: | ||
| (1) is at least 21 years of age but younger than 36 | ||
| years of age; and | ||
| (2) provides foster care for children who are 14 years | ||
| of age and older. | ||
| (b) The department shall establish a pilot program, with | ||
| money appropriated for that purpose, to recruit and provide | ||
| training and support for young adult caregivers. The program shall | ||
| pay a young adult caregiver the daily foster care rate for each | ||
| child who is placed with the caregiver and provide student loan | ||
| repayment assistance or tuition assistance for the caregiver, as | ||
| appropriate. | ||
| (c) The department shall contract with a child-placing | ||
| agency to develop a model for recruiting and training young adult | ||
| caregivers and to support the young adult caregivers during the | ||
| pilot program. The department shall distribute the request for a | ||
| proposal for the pilot program to existing child-placing agencies. | ||
| (d) The department shall appoint a full-time employee with | ||
| experience working with foster children who are 14 years of age and | ||
| older to: | ||
| (1) serve as a liaison between the department and the | ||
| contracting child-placing agency; | ||
| (2) offer assistance and support to each young adult | ||
| caregiver; and | ||
| (3) assist in evaluating the effectiveness of the | ||
| pilot program. | ||
| (e) Not later than January 1, 2018, the department or the | ||
| contracting child-placing agency shall select at least 30 young | ||
| adult caregivers to participate in the pilot program established | ||
| under this section. | ||
| (f) The department shall complete an evaluation of the pilot | ||
| program not later than December 31, 2018. The department shall | ||
| conduct the evaluation in collaboration with an institution of | ||
| higher education. In evaluating the effect the program had on the | ||
| foster children participating in the program, the department shall | ||
| consider whether the program has resulted in: | ||
| (1) increased placement stability; | ||
| (2) fewer behavioral issues; | ||
| (3) fewer instances of foster children running away | ||
| from a placement; | ||
| (4) increased satisfactory academic progress in | ||
| school; | ||
| (5) increased acquisition of independent living | ||
| skills; and | ||
| (6) an improved sense of well-being. | ||
| (g) The department shall submit a report evaluating the | ||
| pilot program to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the | ||
| house of representatives, and members of the legislature as soon as | ||
| possible after the evaluation is completed. | ||
| (h) This section expires September 1, 2019. | ||
| SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
| of this Act, the Department of Family and Protective Services shall | ||
| begin the request for proposal process, enter into a contract with a | ||
| child-placing agency, and establish the pilot program as required | ||
| by Section 264.1252, Family Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
