NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc.
2008 Legislative Agenda

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The NYS Citizens’ Coalition for Children is an advocacy organization of adoptive and foster parent support groups, agencies, and concerned citizens in every region of New York State. We are united in our belief that every child has the right to a permanent, loving family.  We believe the following recommendations will benefit New York State’s children and families. For more information, contact Judith Ashton, Executive Director.

1) Provide Statewide Post Adoption Services - $6 Million Cost Is Offset by Foster Care Savings!

• Appropriate $6 million for statewide delivery of post adoption services, so that no child returns to foster care.
• Most important features of an effective service delivery system:
  • Available statewide to all adoptive families
  • No cost to adoptive families
  • Full range of services offered
    • Information and referral
    • Case management and service planning
    • Support groups
    • Education and training
    • Diagnosis and assessment
    • Individual, family, and group counseling
    • Respite care Crisis response teams
    • Residential placement and treatment
    • Access to birth and adoption records
    • Advocacy services
  • Statewide coordination to assure consistency in service delivery
  • Outcome based program evaluation
  • Single entry point (toll free #, 24/7) for all service requests
  • Adoption-competent service provider

See NYSCCC Post Adoption Services Resources for more information

2) Allow Retention of Custody in Voluntary Placements - Cost Neutral!

• Allow parents to retain custody in voluntary foster care placements.
• Does not affect federal reimbursement to the state.
• Committed, involved families should not be unfairly stripped of responsibility for their child.  
• Families face an impossible choice of keeping the family together or getting needed services.
• The Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS) is the only NYS system that requires parents to relinquish custody in order to get out of home care.
• Families turn to the child welfare system because it may be the best placement, OR they have no insurance for other options, OR other options are unavailable, unaffordable, or inaccessible.
• 13 states do not require relinquishment:  Massachusetts, Connecticut, Colorado, California, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin.   

  See NYSCCC Position Statement

• In a contested case, when the child’s health or safety is not at risk, prohibit an agency from removing the foster child until the fair hearing decision is rendered by OCFS.
• Moves hurt children!  The move may not be necessary if the decision supports the foster parent.

• Allow approved adoptive parents to have a fair hearing if their request to adopt a legally freed foster child has been denied, or not acted upon within 60 days, and if the child has not been already placed for adoption with another approved family.
• Outside review will guard against factors that may wrongly prevent the child from being adopted.

• Require a public agency to purchase adoption placement services from specialized voluntary agencies if an adoptable child is not placed after 6 months.          
• Adoptable foster children need all the help they can get!  Specialized agencies are experts in the recruitment of families for handicapped and ”hard to place” kids." Every child desearves a family.

• Provide New York State tax credit for the costs of adoption in order to support and encourage family building through adoption.        
• Federal law allows tax credit for adoption expenses, and New York should also.

• Prohibit moving the child to relatives or any others after the child has been placed for adoption and the adoption placement agreement has been signed.           
• Relatives or other options should be explored before adoptive placement.
• After the child is placed for adoption, s/he should never have to move again.

• Insure or indemnify all NYS foster parents in order to successfully recruit, retain, and protect vitally needed foster parents.
• Foster parents, who receive no salary for their services are extremely vulnerable to lawsuits. 
• Provision of liability coverage at no cost to foster parents is long overdue and necessary.

• Require OCFS to set minimum statewide rates to eliminate inequities among counties. OCFS presently sets only maximum rates, resulting in great disparity and exploitation of foster parents.
• Actual costs of care exceed current board rates. Foster parents alone are forced to subsidize the cost of care for foster children who are the collective responsibility of the whole community.

NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc.
410 East Upland Road • Ithaca, NY 14850
607-272-0034 • office@nysccc.org
rev: 06/04/2008