Hawaii 2022 Regular Session

Hawaii House Bill HB2143 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B. NO. 2143 THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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3	3	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B. NO. 2143
4	4	THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
5	5	STATE OF HAWAII
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9	9	H.B. NO.
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13	13	THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
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17	17	STATE OF HAWAII
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31	31	A BILL FOR AN ACT
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37	37	RELATING TO FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS.
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43	43	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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47	47	SECTION 1. The legislature finds that many families with children in Hawaii are impacted by the continuing health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and need an array of services. In response to these consequences, staff from the departments of human services, education, health, labor and industrial relations, the governor's coordinator on homelessness, the executive office on aging, the executive office on early learning, workforce development council, and community providers have worked on various initiatives to respond to the needs of Hawaii's residents. In August 2020, the National Governors Association for Best Practices and Casey Family Programs launched the child and family well-being learning cohort I and II to coordinate strategic solutions to prevent child abuse and neglect and ensuring child and family well-being. Several months into the pandemic, there was a national concern that cases of child abuse and neglect were going unreported as schools, health care, and other mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect were providing limited in-person activities. Following the early months of lockdown in 2020, reports of child abuse and neglect declined in some states by twenty to seventy per cent. As part of the cohort, the National Family Support Network presented information and training opportunities about family resource centers, also referred to as family support centers, as a model to assist families and prevent incidents of child abuse and neglect. Family resource centers play a critical role in: (a) Preventing child abuse and neglect; (b) Strengthening children and families; (c) Connecting family-impacting agencies and programs; (d) Creating opportunities for community-level coordination; (e) Creating connections to resources and support systems; and (f) Increasing family engagement, which leads to greater student success in school. Various studies of communities with family resource centers showed lower rates of child abuse and neglect investigations, lower numbers of children entering foster care, and an increase in parents or custodians gaining employment within one year after participating in services provided through the centers. The primary goal of family resource centers is to assist families with supportive services before problems become crises that require intervention by child or other protective services. For school-based family resource centers, an added goal is to support a child's educational needs. Family resource centers serve diverse populations, are family-focused, culturally sensitive resource hubs that provide families and caregivers targeted services or referrals to services based on the needs and interests of families or caregivers. Family resource centers may provide services that include assistance accessing government programs, job training and placement, educational support, housing assistance, child care, skills training for parents or caregivers on a variety of subjects, counseling, and referrals to case management or treatment services. The purposes of this Act are to establish and fund a five-year pilot program within the department of human services and one FTE family resource center coordinator position to further develop and implement a statewide network of school- and community-based family resource centers, to establish definitions, standards, and best practices, to identify and align available services, goals, and outcomes, and to develop referral and data tracking protocols. SECTION 2. Definitions. For purposes of this Act: "Community support system" means the support system that may be organized through extended family members, friends, neighbors, religious organizations, community programs, cultural and ethnic organizations, or other support groups or organizations. "Department" means the department of human services. "Family preservation services" means in-home or community-based services drawing on the strengths of the family and its individual members while addressing family needs to keep the family together where possible and may include: (1) Respite care of children to provide temporary relief for parents and other caregivers; (2) Services designed to improve parenting skills with respect to such matters as child development, household budgeting, coping with stress, health, safety, and nutrition; and (3) Services designed to promote the well-being of children and families, increase the strength and stability of families, increase parents' confidence and competence in their parenting abilities, promote a safe, stable, and supportive family environment for children, and otherwise enhance children's development. "Family resource center" means a unified single point of entry where families, individuals, children, and youth in communities can obtain information, an assessment of needs, referral to, or direct delivery of family services in a manner that is welcoming and strength-based. SECTION 3. (a) There is established the family resource centers pilot program in the department and one FTE family resource centers coordinator position to develop, implement, align, and coordinate a statewide network of school- and community-based family resource centers, and develop a referral and data tracking process. The director of human services may appoint the family resource centers coordinator to carry out the functions of the pilot program. The family resource centers coordinator shall be appointed without regard to chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes. (b) The department, along with the departments of education and health, may coordinate with other public or private entities, as appropriate, to develop and implement family resource centers, including establishing standards of practice, and a strategic plan to identify minimum services, align goals and outcomes, and document referral and data tracking protocols. For purposes of this pilot program: (1) A family resource center is designed to meet the needs, cultures, and interests of the communities that the family resource center serves; (2) Family services, including family preservation services and identification of community support systems, may be delivered directly to a family at the family resource center by family resource center staff or by providers who contract with or have provider agreements with the family resource center, or with any of the departments identified in this section; and (3) Each family resource center may have one or more family advocates who screen and assess a family's needs and strengths. If requested by the family, the family advocate may assist the family with setting its own goals and, together with the family, develop a written plan to pursue the family's goals in working towards a greater level of self-reliance or in attaining self-sufficiency, through education, job training, or employment. SECTION 4. (a) Contracts entered by the departments identified in section 3(b) in the furtherance of this act shall be exempt from the requirements of chapters 103D and 103F. (b) The departments identified in section 3(b) may accept grants, donations, and contributions from private or public sources for the purposes of this Act, which may be expended by the receiving department consistent with the donors' wishes. (c) The departments identified in section 3(b) shall establish no later than December 1, 2023, the following: (1) Criteria that the departments will use to evaluate potential family resource centers; (2) Milestones that the departments expect to meet in establishing one or more family resource centers over the course of the five-year pilot program; (3) Specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-based performance measures that the departments expect to meet at the end of each fiscal year; (4) Monitoring and oversight controls that the departments will have over family resource centers; and (5) Data and referral system tracking needs and protocols in compliance with applicable state and federal laws. (d) The family resource centers coordinator shall submit reports to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027. The report shall include a description of items identified in (c) and include any funds, grants, or donations received in the prior fiscal year. (e) The pilot program shall cease to exist on June 30, 2027. SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $350,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for the establishment of the family resource centers pilot program, one FTE family resource centers coordinator, and for expenses related to development and implementation of statewide family resource centers. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________ BY REQUEST
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49	49	SECTION 1. The legislature finds that many families with children in Hawaii are impacted by the continuing health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and need an array of services. In response to these consequences, staff from the departments of human services, education, health, labor and industrial relations, the governor's coordinator on homelessness, the executive office on aging, the executive office on early learning, workforce development council, and community providers have worked on various initiatives to respond to the needs of Hawaii's residents.
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51	51	In August 2020, the National Governors Association for Best Practices and Casey Family Programs launched the child and family well-being learning cohort I and II to coordinate strategic solutions to prevent child abuse and neglect and ensuring child and family well-being. Several months into the pandemic, there was a national concern that cases of child abuse and neglect were going unreported as schools, health care, and other mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect were providing limited in-person activities. Following the early months of lockdown in 2020, reports of child abuse and neglect declined in some states by twenty to seventy per cent. As part of the cohort, the National Family Support Network presented information and training opportunities about family resource centers, also referred to as family support centers, as a model to assist families and prevent incidents of child abuse and neglect.
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53	53	Family resource centers play a critical role in: (a) Preventing child abuse and neglect; (b) Strengthening children and families; (c) Connecting family-impacting agencies and programs; (d) Creating opportunities for community-level coordination; (e) Creating connections to resources and support systems; and (f) Increasing family engagement, which leads to greater student success in school. Various studies of communities with family resource centers showed lower rates of child abuse and neglect investigations, lower numbers of children entering foster care, and an increase in parents or custodians gaining employment within one year after participating in services provided through the centers.
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55	55	The primary goal of family resource centers is to assist families with supportive services before problems become crises that require intervention by child or other protective services. For school-based family resource centers, an added goal is to support a child's educational needs.
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57	57	Family resource centers serve diverse populations, are family-focused, culturally sensitive resource hubs that provide families and caregivers targeted services or referrals to services based on the needs and interests of families or caregivers. Family resource centers may provide services that include assistance accessing government programs, job training and placement, educational support, housing assistance, child care, skills training for parents or caregivers on a variety of subjects, counseling, and referrals to case management or treatment services.
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59	59	The purposes of this Act are to establish and fund a five-year pilot program within the department of human services and one FTE family resource center coordinator position to further develop and implement a statewide network of school- and community-based family resource centers, to establish definitions, standards, and best practices, to identify and align available services, goals, and outcomes, and to develop referral and data tracking protocols.
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61	61	SECTION 2. Definitions. For purposes of this Act:
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63	63	"Community support system" means the support system that may be organized through extended family members, friends, neighbors, religious organizations, community programs, cultural and ethnic organizations, or other support groups or organizations.
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65	65	"Department" means the department of human services.
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67	67	"Family preservation services" means in-home or community-based services drawing on the strengths of the family and its individual members while addressing family needs to keep the family together where possible and may include:
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69	69	(1) Respite care of children to provide temporary relief for parents and other caregivers;
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71	71	(2) Services designed to improve parenting skills with respect to such matters as child development, household budgeting, coping with stress, health, safety, and nutrition; and
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73	73	(3) Services designed to promote the well-being of children and families, increase the strength and stability of families, increase parents' confidence and competence in their parenting abilities, promote a safe, stable, and supportive family environment for children, and otherwise enhance children's development.
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75	75	"Family resource center" means a unified single point of entry where families, individuals, children, and youth in communities can obtain information, an assessment of needs, referral to, or direct delivery of family services in a manner that is welcoming and strength-based.
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77	77	SECTION 3. (a) There is established the family resource centers pilot program in the department and one FTE family resource centers coordinator position to develop, implement, align, and coordinate a statewide network of school- and community-based family resource centers, and develop a referral and data tracking process.
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79	79	The director of human services may appoint the family resource centers coordinator to carry out the functions of the pilot program. The family resource centers coordinator shall be appointed without regard to chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
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81	81	(b) The department, along with the departments of education and health, may coordinate with other public or private entities, as appropriate, to develop and implement family resource centers, including establishing standards of practice, and a strategic plan to identify minimum services, align goals and outcomes, and document referral and data tracking protocols.
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83	83	For purposes of this pilot program:
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85	85	(1) A family resource center is designed to meet the needs, cultures, and interests of the communities that the family resource center serves;
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87	87	(2) Family services, including family preservation services and identification of community support systems, may be delivered directly to a family at the family resource center by family resource center staff or by providers who contract with or have provider agreements with the family resource center, or with any of the departments identified in this section; and
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89	89	(3) Each family resource center may have one or more family advocates who screen and assess a family's needs and strengths. If requested by the family, the family advocate may assist the family with setting its own goals and, together with the family, develop a written plan to pursue the family's goals in working towards a greater level of self-reliance or in attaining self-sufficiency, through education, job training, or employment.
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91	91	SECTION 4. (a) Contracts entered by the departments identified in section 3(b) in the furtherance of this act shall be exempt from the requirements of chapters 103D and 103F.
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93	93	(b) The departments identified in section 3(b) may accept grants, donations, and contributions from private or public sources for the purposes of this Act, which may be expended by the receiving department consistent with the donors' wishes.
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95	95	(c) The departments identified in section 3(b) shall establish no later than December 1, 2023, the following:
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97	97	(1) Criteria that the departments will use to evaluate potential family resource centers;
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99	99	(2) Milestones that the departments expect to meet in establishing one or more family resource centers over the course of the five-year pilot program;
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101	101	(3) Specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-based performance measures that the departments expect to meet at the end of each fiscal year;
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103	103	(4) Monitoring and oversight controls that the departments will have over family resource centers; and
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105	105	(5) Data and referral system tracking needs and protocols in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.
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107	107	(d) The family resource centers coordinator shall submit reports to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027. The report shall include a description of items identified in (c) and include any funds, grants, or donations received in the prior fiscal year.
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109	109	(e) The pilot program shall cease to exist on June 30, 2027.
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111	111	SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $350,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for the establishment of the family resource centers pilot program, one FTE family resource centers coordinator, and for expenses related to development and implementation of statewide family resource centers.
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113	113	The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
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115	115	SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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119	119	INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
120	120	BY REQUEST
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122	122	INTRODUCED BY:
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124	124	_____________________________
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130	130	BY REQUEST
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132	132	Report Title: Family Resource Centers; Department of Human Services; Appropriations Description: Establishes the Family Resource Centers Pilot Program, establishes one FTE Family Resource Centers Coordinator position, and appropriates funds. The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
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138	138	Report Title:
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140	140	Family Resource Centers; Department of Human Services; Appropriations
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144	144	Description:
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146	146	Establishes the Family Resource Centers Pilot Program, establishes one FTE Family Resource Centers Coordinator position, and appropriates funds.
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154	154	The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.