| 18 | 18 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 19 | 19 | | AN ACT |
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| 20 | 20 | | To amend Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1 |
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| 22 | 22 | | relating to children and youth services, so as to authorize respite care for foster parents for2 |
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| 23 | 23 | | longer periods of time pursuant to circumstances delineated in rules and regulations3 |
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| 24 | 24 | | established by the Department of Human Services; to revise terminology; to provide for4 |
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| 25 | 25 | | related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5 |
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| 26 | 26 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 1.7 |
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| 28 | 28 | | Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to8 |
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| 29 | 29 | | children and youth services, is amended by revising Code Section 49-5-8.1, relating to9 |
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| 30 | 30 | | short-term babysitting of child in foster care and the reasonable and prudent parent standard,10 |
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| 31 | 31 | | as follows:11 |
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| 32 | 32 | | "49-5-8.1.12 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:13 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) 'Caregiver' means a foster parent with whom a child in foster care has been placed.14 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) 'Occasional' means once per week or less on varying days and not exceeding twice15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | S. B. 216 |
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| 38 | 38 | | - 2 - |
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| 39 | 39 | | (3) 'Respite care' means occasional or short-term relief for a caregiver by a person or17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | entity.18 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (3)(4) 'Short-term' means no more than up to 72 consecutive hours or for such longer19 |
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| 42 | 42 | | periods of time under such circumstances as may be promulgated by the department20 |
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| 43 | 43 | | pursuant to rules and regulations.21 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) A caregiver may arrange for occasional short-term babysitting respite care of a child22 |
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| 45 | 45 | | in foster care placed with such caregiver and allow individuals 18 years of age or older to23 |
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| 46 | 46 | | supervise such child for purposes including, but not limited to, medical or other health care24 |
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| 47 | 47 | | appointments for the caregiver, grocery or other shopping, personal grooming25 |
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| 48 | 48 | | appointments, special occasions for the caregiver or caregivers, foster parent training26 |
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| 49 | 49 | | classes, school related meetings, business meetings, adult social gatherings, or an27 |
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| 50 | 50 | | occasional evening event out for the caregiver or caregivers.28 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (c) A caregiver shall use a reasonable and prudent parent standard in selecting and29 |
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| 52 | 52 | | arranging for appropriate babysitters for occasional short-term babysitting respite care30 |
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| 53 | 53 | | pursuant to this Code section.31 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (d) A caregiver shall make all reasonable efforts to provide the babysitter person or entity32 |
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| 55 | 55 | | affording respite care with the following information before leaving the child with the33 |
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| 56 | 56 | | babysitter for short-term babysitting person or entity affording respite care:34 |
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| 57 | 57 | | (1) Information about the child's emotional, behavioral, medical, and physical condition,35 |
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| 58 | 58 | | if any, necessary to provide care for such child during the short-term babysitting respite36 |
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| 59 | 59 | | care period;37 |
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| 60 | 60 | | (2) Any medication that should be administered to such child in foster care during the38 |
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| 61 | 61 | | short-term babysitting respite care period; and39 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (3) Emergency contact information that is valid for the duration of the short-term40 |
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