| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | To amend Article 5 of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1 |
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| 10 | 10 | | relating to identification cards for persons without drivers' licenses, so as to provide that2 |
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| 11 | 11 | | personal identification card applications of certain applicants who are either homeless or in3 |
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| 12 | 12 | | the legal custody of the Division of Family and Children Services do not require signatures4 |
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| 13 | 13 | | by the applicant's parent, guardian, or responsible adult; to provide that fees for such cards5 |
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| 14 | 14 | | for persons in DFCS custody shall be waived; to amend Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 49 of6 |
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| 15 | 15 | | the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to children and youth services, so as to7 |
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| 16 | 16 | | authorize the Department of Human Services to establish programs that will provide a child8 |
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| 17 | 17 | | or youth entering foster care with a photograph; to authorize such department to establish9 |
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| 18 | 18 | | programs that will provide certain such child or youth with a personal identification card, if10 |
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| 19 | 19 | | eligible; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.11 |
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| 20 | 20 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:12 |
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| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 1.13 |
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| 22 | 22 | | Article 5 of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to14 |
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| 23 | 23 | | identification cards for persons without drivers' licenses, is amended in Code Section15 |
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| 24 | 24 | | 40-5-100, relating to personal identification cards, contents, possession of more than one card16 |
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| 25 | 25 | | S. B. 387 |
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| 26 | 26 | | - 1 - 24 LC 57 0051 |
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| 27 | 27 | | prohibited, and optional contributions to and participation in voluntary programs, by adding |
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| 28 | 28 | | 17 |
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| 29 | 29 | | a new subsection to read as follows:18 |
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| 30 | 30 | | "(g) Any eligible applicant child or youth 14 to 17 years of age who does not have an |
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| 31 | 31 | | 19 |
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| 32 | 32 | | address of residence or is in the legal custody of the Division of Family and Children20 |
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| 33 | 33 | | Services of the Department of Human Services shall not be required to have a parent,21 |
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| 34 | 34 | | guardian, or responsible adult sign or verify the application for an identification card."22 |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2.23 |
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| 36 | 36 | | Said article is further amended by revising subsection (c) of Code Section 40-5-103, relating24 |
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| 37 | 37 | | to fee, issuance period, exemptions from fees, and renewal, as follows:25 |
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| 38 | 38 | | "(c) The department shall not be authorized to collect a fee for an identification card from26 |
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| 39 | 39 | | those persons who are entitled to a free veterans' or honorary driver's license under the27 |
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| 40 | 40 | | provisions of Code Section 40-5-36, from a child or youth who is in the legal custody of28 |
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| 41 | 41 | | the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services, or29 |
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| 42 | 42 | | from an individual receiving extended care youth services from such division."30 |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 3.31 |
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| 44 | 44 | | Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to32 |
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| 45 | 45 | | children and youth services, is amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 49-5-8,33 |
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| 46 | 46 | | relating to powers and duties of the Department of Human Services, as follows:34 |
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| 47 | 47 | | "(a) The Department of Human Services is authorized and empowered, through its own35 |
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| 48 | 48 | | programs and the programs of county or district departments of family and children36 |
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| 49 | 49 | | services, to establish, maintain, extend, and improve throughout the state, within the limits37 |
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| 50 | 50 | | of funds appropriated therefor, programs that will provide:38 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (1) Preventive services as follows:39 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (A) Collecting and disseminating information about the problems of children and40 |
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| 53 | 53 | | youths and providing consultative assistance to groups, public and private, interested41 |
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| 54 | 54 | | S. B. 387 |
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| 55 | 55 | | - 2 - 24 LC 57 0051 |
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| 56 | 56 | | in developing programs and services for the prevention, control, and treatment of |
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| 57 | 57 | | 42 |
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| 58 | 58 | | dependency and delinquency among the children of this state; and43 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (B) Research and demonstration projects designed to add to the store of information44 |
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| 60 | 60 | | about the social and emotional problems of children and youths and improve the45 |
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| 61 | 61 | | methods for dealing with these problems;46 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (2) Child welfare services as follows:47 |
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| 63 | 63 | | (A) Casework services for children and youths and for mothers bearing children out48 |
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| 64 | 64 | | of wedlock, whether living in their own homes or elsewhere, to help overcome49 |
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| 65 | 65 | | problems that result in dependency or delinquency. The department shall be authorized50 |
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| 66 | 66 | | to contract with, certify, or partner with licensed child-placing agencies to assist with51 |
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| 67 | 67 | | or provide such casework services;52 |
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| 68 | 68 | | (B) Protective services that will investigate complaints of abuse or abandonment of53 |
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| 69 | 69 | | children and youths by parents, guardians, custodians, or persons serving in loco54 |
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| 70 | 70 | | parentis and, on the basis of the findings of such investigation, offer social services to55 |
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| 71 | 71 | | such parents, guardians, custodians, or persons serving in loco parentis in relation to the56 |
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| 72 | 72 | | problem or bring the situation to the attention of a law enforcement agency, an57 |
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| 73 | 73 | | appropriate court, or another community agency;58 |
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| 74 | 74 | | (C) Supervising and providing required services and care involved in the interstate59 |
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| 75 | 75 | | placement of children;60 |
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| 76 | 76 | | (D) Homemaker service, or payment of the cost of such service, when needed due to61 |
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| 77 | 77 | | the absence or incapacity of the mother;62 |
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| 78 | 78 | | (E) Boarding care, or payment of maintenance costs, in foster family homes or in63 |
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| 79 | 79 | | group-care facilities for children and youths who cannot be adequately cared for in their64 |
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| 80 | 80 | | own homes;65 |
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| 81 | 81 | | (F) Boarding care or payment of maintenance costs for mothers bearing children out66 |
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| 82 | 82 | | of wedlock prior to, during, and for a reasonable period after childbirth;67 |
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| 83 | 83 | | S. B. 387 |
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| 84 | 84 | | - 3 - 24 LC 57 0051 |
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| 85 | 85 | | (G) Day-care services for the care and protection of children whose parents are absent |
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| 86 | 86 | | 68 |
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| 87 | 87 | | from the home or unable for other reasons to provide parental supervision; and69 |
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| 88 | 88 | | (H) Casework services and care to all children and youths where the parent, custodian,70 |
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| 89 | 89 | | or guardian has placed such children in the custody of the department by voluntary71 |
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| 90 | 90 | | agreement, until such agreement is revoked by the parent, custodian, or guardian upon72 |
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| 91 | 91 | | request that such children be returned to the parent, custodian, or guardian or to another73 |
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| 92 | 92 | | relative or the voluntary agreement expires; provided, however, that nothing in this74 |
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| 93 | 93 | | subparagraph shall prohibit the department from obtaining an order placing such75 |
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| 94 | 94 | | children in its custody in accordance with Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 15. The76 |
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| 95 | 95 | | department shall be authorized to contract with, certify, or partner with licensed77 |
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| 96 | 96 | | child-placing agencies to assist with or provide such casework services;78 |
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| 97 | 97 | | (3) Services to courts, upon their request, as follows:79 |
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| 98 | 98 | | (A) Accepting for casework services and care all children and youths whose legal80 |
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| 99 | 99 | | custody is vested in the department by the court;81 |
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| 100 | 100 | | (B) Providing shelter or custodial care for children prior to examination and study or82 |
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| 101 | 101 | | pending court hearing;83 |
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| 102 | 102 | | (C) Making social studies and reports to the court with respect to children and youths84 |
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| 103 | 103 | | as to whom petitions have been filed; and85 |
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| 104 | 104 | | (D) Providing casework services and care or payment of maintenance costs for children86 |
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| 105 | 105 | | and youths who have run away from their home communities within this state, or from87 |
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| 106 | 106 | | their home communities in this state to another state, or from their home communities88 |
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| 107 | 107 | | in another state to this state; paying the costs of returning such runaway children and89 |
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| 108 | 108 | | youths to their home communities; and providing such services, care, or costs for90 |
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| 109 | 109 | | runaway children and youths as may be required under Chapter 4B of this title;91 |
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| 110 | 110 | | (4) Regional group-care facilities for the purpose of:92 |
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| 111 | 111 | | (A) Providing local authorities an alternative to placing any child in a common jail;93 |
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| 112 | 112 | | S. B. 387 |
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| 113 | 113 | | - 4 - 24 LC 57 0051 |
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| 114 | 114 | | (B) Shelter care prior to examination and study or pending a hearing before juvenile |
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| 115 | 115 | | 94 |
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| 116 | 116 | | court;95 |
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| 117 | 117 | | (C) Detention prior to examination and study or pending a hearing before juvenile96 |
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| 118 | 118 | | court; and97 |
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| 119 | 119 | | (D) Study and diagnosis pending determination of treatment or a hearing before98 |
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| 120 | 120 | | juvenile court;99 |
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| 121 | 121 | | (5) Facilities designed to afford specialized and diversified programs, such as forestry100 |
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| 122 | 122 | | camps, ranches, and group residences, for the care, treatment, and training of children and101 |
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| 123 | 123 | | youths of different ages and different emotional, mental, and physical conditions;102 |
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| 124 | 124 | | (6) Regulation of child-placing agencies, child-caring institutions, and maternity homes103 |
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| 125 | 125 | | by:104 |
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| 126 | 126 | | (A) Establishing rules and regulations for and providing consultation on such rules and105 |
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| 127 | 127 | | regulations for all such agencies, institutions, and homes; and106 |
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| 128 | 128 | | (B) Licensing and inspecting periodically all such agencies, institutions, and homes to107 |
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| 129 | 129 | | ensure their adherence to established standards as prescribed by the department;108 |
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| 130 | 130 | | (7) Adoption services, as follows:109 |
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| 131 | 131 | | (A) Supervising the work of all child-placing agencies when funds are made available;110 |
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| 132 | 132 | | (B) Providing services to parents desiring to surrender children for adoption as111 |
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| 133 | 133 | | provided for in adoption statutes;112 |
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| 134 | 134 | | (C) Providing care or payment of maintenance costs for mothers bearing children out113 |
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| 135 | 135 | | of wedlock and children being considered for adoption;114 |
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| 136 | 136 | | (D) Inquiring into the character and reputation of persons making application for the115 |
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| 137 | 137 | | adoption of children;116 |
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| 138 | 138 | | (E) Placing children for adoption;117 |
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| 139 | 139 | | (F) Providing financial assistance to families adopting children once the child has been118 |
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| 140 | 140 | | placed for adoption, determined eligible for assistance, and the adoption assistance119 |
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| 141 | 141 | | agreement has been signed prior to the finalization of the adoption by all parties. 120 |
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| 142 | 142 | | S. B. 387 |
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| 143 | 143 | | - 5 - 24 LC 57 0051 |
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| 144 | 144 | | Financial assistance may only be granted for hard-to-place children with physical, |
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| 145 | 145 | | 121 |
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| 146 | 146 | | mental, or emotional disabilities or with other problems for whom it is difficult to find122 |
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| 147 | 147 | | a permanent home. Financial assistance may not exceed 100 percent of the amount that123 |
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| 148 | 148 | | would have been paid for boarding such child in a family foster home and for special124 |
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| 149 | 149 | | services such as medical care not available through insurance or public facilities. Such125 |
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| 150 | 150 | | supplements shall only be available to families who could not provide for the child126 |
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| 151 | 151 | | adequately without continued financial assistance. The department may review the127 |
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| 152 | 152 | | supplements paid at any time but shall review them at least annually to determine the128 |
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| 153 | 153 | | need for continued assistance;129 |
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| 154 | 154 | | (G) Providing payment to a licensed child-placing agency which places a child with130 |
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| 155 | 155 | | special needs who is under the jurisdiction of the department for adoption. Payment131 |
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| 156 | 156 | | may not exceed $5,000.00 for each such adoption arranged by an agency. The board132 |
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| 157 | 157 | | shall define the special needs child. One-half of such payment shall be made at the time133 |
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| 158 | 158 | | of placement and the remaining amount shall be paid when the adoption is finalized. 134 |
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| 159 | 159 | | If the adoption disrupts prior to finalization, the state shall be reimbursed by the135 |
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| 160 | 160 | | child-placing agency in an amount calculated on a prorated basis based on length of136 |
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| 161 | 161 | | time the child was in the home and the services provided; and137 |
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| 162 | 162 | | (H) Providing payment to an agency which recruits, educates, or trains potential138 |
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| 163 | 163 | | adoptive or foster parents for preparation in anticipation of adopting or fostering a139 |
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| 164 | 164 | | special needs child. The board shall define the special needs child and set the payment140 |
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| 165 | 165 | | amount by rule and regulation. Upon appropriate documentation of these preplacement141 |
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| 166 | 166 | | services in a timely manner, payments as set by the board shall be made upon142 |
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| 167 | 167 | | enrollment of each potential adoptive or foster parent for such services;143 |
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| 168 | 168 | | (8) Staff development and recruitment programs through in-service training and144 |
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| 169 | 169 | | educational scholarships for personnel as may be necessary to assure efficient and145 |
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| 170 | 170 | | effective administration of the services and care for children and youths authorized in this146 |
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| 171 | 171 | | article. The department is authorized to disburse state funds to match federal funds in147 |
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| 172 | 172 | | S. B. 387 |
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| 173 | 173 | | - 6 - 24 LC 57 0051 |
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| 174 | 174 | | order to provide qualified employees with graduate or postgraduate educational |
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| 175 | 175 | | 148 |
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| 176 | 176 | | scholarships in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the board pursuant to149 |
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| 177 | 177 | | Article VIII, Section VII, Paragraph I of the Constitution of Georgia;150 |
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| 178 | 178 | | (9) Miscellaneous services, such as providing all medical, hospital, psychiatric, surgical,151 |
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| 179 | 179 | | or dental services or payment of the costs of such services as may be considered152 |
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| 180 | 180 | | appropriate and necessary by competent medical authority to those children subject to the153 |
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| 181 | 181 | | supervision and control of the department without securing prior consent of parents or154 |
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| 182 | 182 | | legal guardians;155 |
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| 183 | 183 | | (10) Preparation, education, and training for foster parents which will provide them with156 |
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| 184 | 184 | | the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of foster children, including157 |
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| 185 | 185 | | knowledge and skills relating to the reasonable and prudent parent standard for the158 |
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| 186 | 186 | | participation of the child in age or developmentally appropriate activities, and continue159 |
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| 187 | 187 | | such preparation, as necessary, after the placement of the children. The department shall160 |
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| 188 | 188 | | be authorized to require varying levels of initial and annual training based on the161 |
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| 189 | 189 | | experience of the foster parents, the age and needs of the foster child or children, and162 |
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| 190 | 190 | | whether the foster parents are providing only respite care. All or part of such training163 |
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| 191 | 191 | | may be offered online;164 |
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| 192 | 192 | | (11)(A) Each child or youth who has entered foster care, and within 90 days of such |
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| 193 | 193 | | 165 |
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| 194 | 194 | | entrance, with, a photograph of himself or herself, provided however, that if such child166 |
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| 195 | 195 | | or youth is under 14 years of age, then his or her foster parent or placement shall be167 |
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| 196 | 196 | | provided a photograph of such child or youth. It shall be the responsibility of the168 |
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| 197 | 197 | | Division of Family and Children Services of the department to ensure that each such169 |
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| 198 | 198 | | child or youth receives a photograph in accordance with the provisions of this170 |
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| 199 | 199 | | paragraph. Provision of records in accordance with this paragraph shall not be171 |
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| 200 | 200 | | considered a violation of subsection (b) of Code Section 49-5-40;172 |
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| 201 | 201 | | (B) Each child or youth who is 14 years of age or older, has entered foster care, and173 |
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| 202 | 202 | | within 90 days of such entrance, with, if such child or youth is eligible, a personal174 |
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| 203 | 203 | | S. B. 387 |
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| 204 | 204 | | - 7 - 24 LC 57 0051 |
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| 205 | 205 | | identification card issued pursuant to Code Section 40-5-100. It shall be the175 |
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| 206 | 206 | | responsibility of the Division of Family and Children Services of the department to176 |
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| 207 | 207 | | ensure that each such eligible child or youth receives a personal identification card in177 |
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| 208 | 208 | | accordance with the provisions of this paragraph. Provision of records in accordance178 |
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| 209 | 209 | | with this paragraph shall not be considered a violation of subsection (b) of Code179 |
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| 210 | 210 | | Section 49-5-40;180 |
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| 211 | 211 | | (11)(12) Each youth who is leaving foster care by reason of having attained 18 years of181 |
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| 212 | 212 | | age, unless the child has been in foster care for less than six months, with, if the child is182 |
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| 213 | 213 | | eligible to receive such document, an official or certified copy of the United States birth183 |
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| 214 | 214 | | certificate of the child, a social security card issued by the Commissioner of Social184 |
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| 215 | 215 | | Security, health insurance information, a copy of the child's medical records, a driver's185 |
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| 216 | 216 | | license or identification card issued by a state in accordance with the requirements of186 |
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| 217 | 217 | | Section 202 of the REAL ID Act of 2005, and any official documentation necessary to187 |
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| 218 | 218 | | prove that the child was previously in foster care. Provision of records in accordance188 |
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| 219 | 219 | | with this paragraph shall not be considered a violation of subsection (b) of Code Section189 |
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| 220 | 220 | | 49-5-40; and190 |
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| 221 | 221 | | (12)(13) Extended care youth services for youths between 18 and 21 years of age as set191 |
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| 222 | 222 | | forth in Article 4A of Chapter 11 of Title 15 and to receive federal reimbursement for192 |
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| 223 | 223 | | providing such services in accordance with 42 U.S.C. Section 675, as it existed on193 |
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| 224 | 224 | | February 1, 2018."194 |
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| 225 | 225 | | SECTION 4.195 |
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| 226 | 226 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.196 |
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| 227 | 227 | | S. B. 387 |
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| 228 | 228 | | - 8 - |
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