Relating to benefits and services for children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services, including the exchange of information by the department regarding students in foster care.
Impact
The enactment of SB939 would enable more effective monitoring of educational outcomes for children in foster care. By integrating information about these students into PEIMS, the bill seeks to address educational disparities faced by students in such vulnerable situations. This could lead to improved educational strategies tailored to meet the needs of foster care students, thereby potentially enhancing their academic performance and overall educational experience.
Summary
SB939 is a legislative proposal aimed at enhancing the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) to specifically account for public school students who are placed in foster care. This bill requires that the commissioner's rules ensure that the PEIMS is capable of tracking the performance of these students. Additionally, it mandates the Department of Family and Protective Services to provide relevant information to school districts to facilitate this tracking. The confidentiality of the students’ identities is a key point in the bill, as any information exchanged is to be treated with strict privacy protections.
Contention
While the bill is designed to bolster support for foster care students, there may be concerns about the implementation and the potential implications for student privacy. The challenge lies in balancing the need for oversight and accountability in educational outcomes with the necessary measures to keep student identities confidential. Critics may express apprehension about whether the data sharing between the Department of Family and Protective Services and educational institutions will be executed in a way that safeguards the privacy rights of these vulnerable students.
Relating to trauma-informed care for children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services and trauma-informed care training for certain department employees.
Relating to certain procedures in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship for a child placed in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services and the provision of family preservation services and community-based foster care.
Relating to the exchange of certain information between the Department of Family and Protective Services or certain foster care services contractors and a state or local juvenile justice agency.
Relating to the procedures for the removal of certain children in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services and monetary assistance provided by the Department of Family and Protective Services to certain relative or designated caregivers.
Relating to the exchange of certain information between the Department of Family and Protective Services or certain foster care services contractors and a state or local juvenile justice agency.
Relating to the definition of child neglect and to the appointment of the Department of Family and Protective Services and a child's parent or legal guardian as joint managing conservators of the child.