Bill > S05242

This bill establishes a comprehensive data collection and reporting requirement for alternative living arrangements (temporary out-of-home placements) for children who are at risk of maltreatment. The bill defines an "alternative living arrangement" as an agreed-upon out-of-home living arrangement that can result from child protective service investigations, differential response programs, requests for respite services, voluntary foster care placement, or investigations about a child potentially being destitute. The Office of Children and Family Services will be required to collect and compile detailed annual data for each local social services district, including the total number of alternative living arrangement agreements, the number of children involved, duration of placements, placement types (such as with relatives or in respite care), and subsequent legal proceedings or service interventions. The collected data must, when possible, be disaggregated by demographic characteristics like age, sex, race, and ethnicity, with additional granularity for districts with populations over 500,000. The office must publish this report on its website within 90 days after the calendar year's end and submit it to various state legislative leaders and committees by September 1st, 2026, and annually thereafter. The bill aims to provide transparency and detailed insights into alternative living arrangements for at-risk children.

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https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5242