GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1610

Short Title:  Foster Care Funds.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Diamont; Flaherty, Gottovi, Bowman, Jeffus, Ives, Luebke, and Colton.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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May 25, 1994

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO IMPROVE FOSTER CARE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  (a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Social Services, Department of Human Resources, the sum of fourteen million six hundred forty-one thousand three hundred twenty-three dollars ($14,641,323) for the 1994-95 fiscal year to improve foster care services.  These funds shall be allocated as follows:
(1)	$12,297,895 for county foster care workers in order to achieve in all 100 counties a ratio of one foster care placement worker to a case load of 15 and ratio of one licensing worker to a case load of 32;
(2)	$241,694 to establish an in-house training component to provide a mandated minimum of 30 hours preservice training for foster care parents and 84 hours for foster care placement workers and adoption care workers and a mandated minimum of 10 hours of continuing education for all foster care parents and 18 hours for foster care placement workers and adoption care workers;
(3)	$2,031,501 to increase and modify the foster care monthly payments schedule as follows:
a.	For children from birth to six years of age, $315.00;
b.	For children from 6 years of age to 13 years of age, $365.00; and
c.	For children from 13 years of age to 19 years of age, $415.00; and
(4)	$20,233 to provide Foster and Adoptive Recruitment and Retention, A Guide to Local Agency Assessment, an ongoing assessment tool to be used to facilitate change within the State foster care system; and
(5)	$50,000 for administration of this act to provide for coordination of collection, reporting requirements as set forth in subsection (b).
(b) Counties shall not use funds allocated to them pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to supplant funds they are obligated to provide.  Any county receiving an allocation pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall, at a minimum, maintain a level of financial support of county funds for child welfare services at least equal to the 1993-94 actual expenditure levels.  
If a county fails to maintain financial maintenance of effort as specified in this subsection, the Department shall withhold future funding allocated to the county pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
Counties receiving funds pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall report quarterly, beginning with the second quarter of the 1994-95 fiscal year, to the Division of Social Services, Department of Human Resources, the following:
(1)	A narrative description of the use of State funds;
(2)	Workload statistics and indicators for foster care as established by the Division of Social Services; and
(3)	Development of a coordinated approach to provide children's services with emphasis on meeting the total needs of the children and families being served.
(c)	State assistance to counties for foster care workers shall be matched by counties at the rate of twenty-five percent (25%), effective July 1, 1994.
(d) The Division of Social Services shall evaluate and report to the Fiscal Research Division of the Legislative Services Office by April 30, 1995, on the State's efforts in implementing this act.  The evaluation and report shall include evaluation of the current foster care delivery system and the impact of implementing this act.
Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1994.