SLS 201ES-607 ORIGINAL
2020 First Extraordinary Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 52
BY SENATOR MIZELL
CHILDREN/FAMILY SERVICES DEPT. Requests the Department of Children and Family
Services to report to the legislature on the impact and success of the department's guidelines
on care setting decision making for children under age six.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services to report to the Senate
3 Committee on Health and Welfare on the impact and success of the department's
4 guidelines on care setting decision making for children under age six.
5 WHEREAS, the Department of Children and Family Services is responsible for the
6 development and providing of social services and the improvement of social conditions for
7 the citizens of Louisiana and has a stated mission to keep children safe, help individuals and
8 families become self-sufficient, and provide safe refuge during disasters; and
9 WHEREAS, in accordance with Children's Code Article 672, the department has the
10 responsibility for the safe and appropriate placement of children judicially committed to its
11 custody; and
12 WHEREAS, the department adopted Document 6-305, entitled Guidelines for Care
13 Setting Decision Making for Children under Age Six, with an effective date of March 15,
14 2019; and
15 WHEREAS, the guidelines state that it is the policy of the Department of Children
16 and Family Services to place children under age six in a setting with relatives or family
17 connections immediately upon or as soon as possible after foster care entry with an
18 appropriate and safe relative or family connection once identified; and
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SLS 201ES-607 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, the guidelines also provide that due to the essential bonding which
2 occurs for very young children in the child's care setting, the department prioritizes all
3 efforts to minimize moves for these very young children.
4 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
5 does hereby urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services to report to
6 the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare on the impact and success of the department's
7 guidelines on care setting decision making for children under age six.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall address all of the following
9 with regard to Document 6-305, entitled Guidelines for Care Setting Decision Making for
10 Children under Age Six, with an effective date of March 15, 2019, in the report requested
11 by this Resolution:
12 (1)(a)How many children under the age of six years were moved after a minimum
13 of six to eight months in placement since March 15, 2019, and for what
14 reason?
15 (b)In how many of those cases were mental health professionals consulted and
16 what did they recommend?
17 (c)What evidence can the department provide about the proportion of cases in
18 which the stability of placement was weighed more than biological
19 relationships and the proportion of cases in which biological relationships
20 were weighed more than the stability of placement?
21 (2)How does the department train its employees with regard to application of
22 the guidelines?
23 (3)How many families and children have been impacted by the implementation
24 of the guidelines and what were the outcomes?
25 (4)Does the department universally support and operate pursuant to the
26 guidelines and in what circumstances will the department vary from the
27 guidelines?
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall not be required to provide
29 any confidential, personally identifiable, or otherwise sensitive information in the report
30 submitted pursuant to this Resolution.
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SLS 201ES-607 ORIGINAL
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall submit the report requested
2 by this Resolution no later than October 1, 2020.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted
4 to the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Brandi Cannon.
DIGEST
SR 52 Original 2020 First Extraordinary Session Mizell
Requests the Dept. of Children and Family Services to report to the Senate Committee on
Health and Welfare on the impact and success of the department's guidelines on care setting
decision making for children under age six.
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