Bill Text: HI SB2276 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Child Welfare Services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-03-21 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Ing, C. Lee, McKelvey, Souki, Todd, Ward excused (6). [SB2276 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2018-SB2276-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2276 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to child welfare services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the east Hawaii child welfare services section in the county of Hawaii faces unique challenges as it is the office responsible for the safety and well-being of the State's most vulnerable children who have been abused, neglected, or are at high risk for abuse and neglect. The office oversees the safety of endangered children in a geographic area that extends from Honokaa to Ocean View, including the districts of north and south Hilo, Puna, and much of Hamakua and Kau. Furthermore, the rate of confirmed cases for abuse or neglect in 2015 was two hundred thirteen children per 100,000 residents in Hawaii county, nearly triple the rate of confirmed cases for the city and county of Honolulu.
The legislature further finds that due to challenging economic times and funding cuts in Hawaii's child welfare services, layoffs and hiring restrictions have caused the east Hawaii child welfare services section to lose nineteen of the fifty-six positions it had in 2009, resulting in a dramatic increase in average caseload per caseworker. The recommended number of caseloads for social workers is no more than fifteen children, but social workers in east Hawaii regularly have caseloads of forty to fifty children. These higher caseloads increase the potential for harm to children at risk for neglect or abuse, further contributing to the high rate of confirmed cases in Hawaii county, and has even prompted the family court to sanction the east Hawaii child welfare services section because of late filings of reports and failure to meet court deadlines. Therefore, the legislature finds that it is necessary to undertake a pilot project demonstrating the positive impact of adequate staffing levels on the safety and well-being of at-risk children and families in east Hawaii.
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for:
(1) The department of human services to establish a five-year pilot program in the east Hawaii child welfare services section in Hawaii county that limits the number of children per child welfare services caseworker to no more than twenty; and
(2) Additional case managers and support staff for the pilot program.
SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for:
(1) The department of human services, child welfare services branch, to establish a five-year pilot program that limits the number of children supervised by each child welfare services caseworker at no more than twenty in the east Hawaii child welfare services section in the county of Hawaii; and
(2) Eight full-time equivalent (8.0 FTE) case managers and fifteen full-time equivalent (15.0 FTE) support staff positions for the pilot program.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2018.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Child Welfare Services; Caseworker; Pilot Program; Hawaii County; Appropriation
Description:
Appropriates funds for DHS to establish a five-year pilot program in the east Hawaii child welfare services section in Hawaii county that limits the number of children per child welfare services caseworker to no more than twenty. Appropriates funds for additional case managers and support staff for the pilot program.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
