Clarifies the responsibility of school districts for certain temporary-resident preschool children with disabilities who are in foster care, are homeless or are in residential care.
Impact
The enactment of S08370 will formalize the procedures that school districts must follow when dealing with preschool children who have disabilities and are in precarious living environments. The bill mandates that the district where the child currently resides—whether due to foster care or homelessness—holds the responsibility for evaluating and placing these children in appropriate educational settings. This change introduces a more structured approach, ensuring that these vulnerable children are not overlooked and that their educational rights are respected.
Summary
Bill S08370 aims to clarify the responsibilities of school districts concerning preschool children with disabilities who are temporary residents due to being in foster care, homeless, or in residential care. The bill emphasizes the need for specific protocols regarding evaluation and placement of these children to ensure they receive the necessary educational services. It identifies the school district of current location, as well as the municipality of current location, as responsible for these processes, ensuring that children are adequately supported regardless of their housing status or parental situation.
Contention
Discussions surrounding S08370 may highlight concerns about funding and resource allocation. Specifically, while the bill lays out the responsibilities, it also stipulates a reimbursement scheme where the state will cover certain costs associated with these evaluations if the municipality of record is the current location. Critics may argue about the sustainability of this funding mechanism, fearing that local districts could still feel the financial strain of supporting these initiatives without adequate state backing.
Clarifies the responsibility of school districts for certain temporary-resident preschool children with disabilities who are in foster care, are homeless or are in residential care.
Requires providers of residential services to developmentally disabled children to have surveillance cameras in the common areas of their residential facilities.
Authorizes industrial development agencies to provide technical and financial assistance to qualified residential facilities; defines "qualified residential facility" as any multi-family residential facility with units that are for sale, in any municipality located within the county of Westchester, and which is located in an urban renewal area.