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WI AB328

WI AB328
Providing permanency plan and comments to out-of-home care providers in advance of a permanency plan review or hearing. (FE)


summary

Introduced
07/08/2025
In Committee
07/08/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

Potential new amendment
2025-2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

Under current law, when a child is the subject of a child or juvenile in need of protection or services (CHIPS or JIPS) proceeding, the county social or human services department, a child welfare agency, or, if the child or juvenile is located in Milwaukee County, the Department of Children and Families is required to prepare a permanency plan for the child. The permanency plan is reviewed every six months either by a review panel or at a court hearing. Before the review or hearing, the agency is required to provide a copy of the plan, and any written comments that the agency receives about the plan, to the following people: the members of the review panel; the child[s parent, guardian, or legal custodian; the person representing the interests of the public; the child[s counsel, guardian ad litem, or court-appointed special advocate; and, if the child is an Indian child who is placed outside the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian, the child[s Indian custodian and tribe. This bill allows an agency to provide a copy of a child[s permanency plan and comments on the plan to a child[s out-of-home care provider in the context of a permanency review and a permanency hearing. An out-of-home care provider includes a foster parent, guardian, relative other than a parent, nonrelative in whose home a child or juvenile is placed, and operator of a group home, residential care center for children and youth, or shelter care facility in which a child or juvenile is placed. Under this bill, any information that is required to remain confidential under federal or state law must be redacted from the permanency plan before it is provided to the out-of-home care provider. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

AI Summary

This bill allows child welfare agencies to provide a copy of a child's permanency plan to out-of-home care providers during permanency reviews or hearings, with important confidentiality protections. Specifically, the bill permits agencies to share permanency plans with foster parents, guardians, relatives, non-relative caregivers, and operators of group homes or residential facilities where a child is placed. Before sharing the plan, the agency must redact any information that is legally required to remain confidential under state or federal law. This change applies to both child in need of protection or services (CHIPS) and juvenile in need of protection or services (JIPS) proceedings. The bill modifies existing statutes to explicitly allow this information sharing while maintaining strict confidentiality standards, and will first apply to permanency reviews or hearings that commence 30 days after the law's effective date. The goal appears to be improving communication and transparency for care providers while still protecting sensitive information about the child and their case.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (8)

Last Action

Assembly Children and Families Executive Session (10:30:00 1/14/2026 328 Northwest) (on 01/14/2026)

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