GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

H	2 

HOUSE BILL 868
Committee Substitute Favorable 5/1/95

Short Title:  Supp. Adoption Fund.	(Public)

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Sponsors:

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Referred to:  

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April 12, 1995

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A FUND IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO LICENSED PRIVATE CHILD-PLACING AGENCIES AND PUBLIC CHILD-PLACING AGENCIES TO PLACE MORE HARD-TO-PLACE CHILDREN.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Article 3 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Part to read:
"Part 4B. Hard-To-Place Children's Supplemental
Adoption Fund.
"§ 143B-150-15.  Hard-To-Place Children's Supplemental Adoption Fund; establishment; purpose.
(a)	Subject to the availability of funds within the Department of Human Resources, there is established in the Department a Hard-To-Place Children's Supplemental Adoption Fund.
(b)	This Fund shall be used for service contracts with licensed private child-placing agencies and public child-placing agencies to provide child placement services for hard-to-place children.
"§ 143B-150-16.  Definitions.
For purposes of this Part:
(1)	'Hard-to-place children' means children who are in need of permanent, secure, loving families who:
a.	Are medically fragile;
b.	Are developmentally delayed;
c.	Have behavioral or emotional disorders;
d.	Are neglected or abused;
e.	Are members of a sibling group;
f.	Are older children;
g.	Are born affected by substance abuse or HIV involvement; or
h.	Are minority children.
(2)	'Licensed private child-placing agencies' means agencies authorized by statute or license pursuant to Article 1A of Chapter 131D of the General Statutes to receive children for purposes of placement in adoptive homes.
"§ 143B-150-17.  Use of Fund.
Effective July 1, 1995, the Department of Human Resources shall contract with licensed private public child-placing agencies and public child-placing agencies to provide from the Fund funds for child placement services for hard-to-place children.  Upon the placement of the child in the adoptive home, the contracts shall provide for payment for each separate service that was provided.  The contracts shall provide for the agency's use of a voucher system to present costs.  The contracts shall also provide that a private agency match each payment received with private dollars by the end of the fiscal year in which the payment was received in order to be eligible to contract in the next fiscal year.  The Social Services Commission shall adopt rules establishing the list of services that may be provided and the payment to be made."
Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1995.