HB 1726

This bill prohibits, except in emergency situations not exceeding 24 hours, a child in foster care from being housed in vehicles, state or agency offices, hotels, or motels. A child in foster care must be placed in (i) a kinship foster care placement with necessar y support services to maintain stability, (ii) a licensed foster family with consistent oversight and support, or (iii) a group home or small, family-style residential group home with no more than 10 children per unit, ensuring access to individualized ca re and stability. This bill further prohibits a foster child from moving more than two times per year unless extenuating circumstances, such as safety concerns or reunification efforts, necessitate the change. Caseworkers must provide a written explanation for any placem ent change beyond the initial placement, and the placement change must be approved by a supervisor. TRACKING SYSTEM This bill requires the department of children's services ("department"") to develop and implement a system to track the location of each foster child in real time while the child is in the department's custody. The tracking system must be designed to ens ure privacy protections while maintaining the ability to monitor the safety and whereabouts of foster children at all times. REPORT Present law requires the department to annually prepare and issue a report on foster care in this state. In addition to such report, this bill requires the department to prepare and issue an annual report detailing all of the following on a statewide ba sis:  The number of foster children placed in kinship care, foster families, and cottage group homes.  Instances of prohibited placements and corrective actions taken.  Recommendations for further policy improvements.  The effectiveness of real-time tracking in improving child safety and stability. RULEMAKING This bill requires the department to promulgate rules to minimize placement disruptions and prioritize stability in accordance with this bill."