| 1 | 1 | | 87S20188 MCK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Jetton H.B. No. 118 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to foster parent recruitment. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 264.113, Family Code, is amended to read |
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| 10 | 10 | | as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 264.113. FOSTER PARENT RECRUITMENT. (a) In this |
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| 12 | 12 | | section, "faith-based organization" means a religious or |
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| 13 | 13 | | denominational institution or organization, including an |
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| 14 | 14 | | organization operated for religious, educational, or charitable |
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| 15 | 15 | | purposes and operated, supervised, or controlled, in whole or in |
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| 16 | 16 | | part, by or in connection with a religious organization. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The department shall develop a foster parent |
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| 18 | 18 | | recruitment program to educate residents of this state about the |
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| 19 | 19 | | foster care system and the need for foster parents. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b-1) As part of the foster parent recruitment program, the |
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| 21 | 21 | | department shall recruit and retain foster parents from faith-based |
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| 22 | 22 | | organizations. The [As part of the program, the] department shall: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) collaborate with faith-based organizations to |
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| 24 | 24 | | inform prospective foster parents about the department's need for |
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| 25 | 25 | | foster parents, the requirements for becoming a foster parent, and |
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| 26 | 26 | | any other aspect of the foster care program that is necessary to |
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| 27 | 27 | | recruit foster parents; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) provide training for prospective foster parents |
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| 29 | 29 | | recruited under this section; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) identify and recommend ways in which faith-based |
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| 31 | 31 | | organizations may support persons as they are recruited, are |
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| 32 | 32 | | trained, and serve as foster parents. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (c) The department shall work with OneStar Foundation to |
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| 34 | 34 | | expand the foster parent recruitment program [described by |
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| 35 | 35 | | Subsection (b)] to increase the number of foster families available |
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| 36 | 36 | | for the department and its private providers. In cooperation with |
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| 37 | 37 | | the department, OneStar Foundation may provide training and |
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| 38 | 38 | | technical assistance to establish networks and services in |
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| 39 | 39 | | faith-based organizations based on best practices for supporting |
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| 40 | 40 | | prospective and current foster families. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (d) The department shall work with the Health and Human |
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| 42 | 42 | | Services Commission [Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative |
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| 43 | 43 | | Services] to recruit foster parents and adoptive parents who have |
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| 44 | 44 | | skills, training, or experience suitable to care for children with |
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| 45 | 45 | | hearing impairments. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (e) The department shall collaborate with foster and |
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| 47 | 47 | | adoptive parents to develop and implement a foster parent |
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| 48 | 48 | | recruitment plan. The plan must: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) identify geographic areas in this state in need of |
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| 50 | 50 | | foster parents using risk stratification modeling or risk |
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| 51 | 51 | | assessments of geographic areas with higher occurrences of child |
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| 52 | 52 | | abuse and neglect or child fatalities; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (2) use data analysis, social media, partnerships with |
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| 54 | 54 | | faith-based and volunteer organizations, and other recruitment |
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| 55 | 55 | | strategies, including targeted and child-focused recruitment; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (3) identify the number of available foster parents |
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| 57 | 57 | | for children with increased needs for therapy or treatment in order |
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| 58 | 58 | | to expand the use of therapeutic or treatment foster care for |
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| 59 | 59 | | children in those placements; |
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| 60 | 60 | | (4) require the provision of: |
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| 61 | 61 | | (A) quality customer service to prospective |
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| 62 | 62 | | foster and adoptive parents and to foster and adoptive parents; and |
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| 63 | 63 | | (B) assistance to prospective foster parents |
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| 64 | 64 | | with the certification and placement process; |
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| 65 | 65 | | (5) include strategies for increasing the number of |
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| 66 | 66 | | kinship providers; |
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| 67 | 67 | | (6) include strategies to ensure that children in |
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| 68 | 68 | | foster care are not required to transfer schools after entering |
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| 69 | 69 | | foster care, unless transferring is in the child's best interest; |
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| 70 | 70 | | and |
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| 71 | 71 | | (7) include programs to support foster and adoptive |
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| 72 | 72 | | families, including programs that provide training, respite care, |
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| 73 | 73 | | and peer assistance. |
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| 74 | 74 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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| 75 | 75 | | last day of the legislative session. |
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