Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRIS TULLY
District 38 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman LISA SWAIN
District 38 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Increases maximum number of respite care service hours funded through DCF for certain families.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning respite care and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The family of a child that is eligible to receive respite care services for the child, which services are funded through the Division of the Children's System of Care in the Department of Children and Families, shall be eligible to receive no more than 90 hours of respite care services, provided by either an agency-hired or self-hired respite worker, over a 90-day period, through funding provided by the department.
b. The Commissioner of Children and Families shall use available State and federal funds to effectuate the provisions of subsection a. of this section.
c. As used in this act:
"Agency-hired respite worker" means a respite care worker who is recruited, trained, and employed by a qualified agency under contract with the Department of Children and Families.
"Respite care" means the provision of temporary, short-term care for, or the supervision of, an eligible child on behalf of the caregiver, in emergencies or on an intermittent basis to relieve the daily stresses and demands of caring for a child with a functional impairment. Respite care may be provided hourly or daily, may be provided by an agency-hired or self-hired respite worker or by a volunteer, but may not exceed service and cost limitations as determined by the Commissioner of Children and Families.
"Self-hired respite worker" means a respite care worker who is recruited, trained, and paid directly by a family of a child that is eligible for respite care services.
2. The Commissioner of Children and Families shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill increases the maximum number of respite care service hours funded through the Department of Children and Families (department) for certain families.
Under the bill, the family of a child that is eligible to receive respite care services funded through the department, is to be eligible to receive no more than 90 hours of respite care services, provided by either an agency-hired or self-hired respite worker, over a 90-day period through funding provided by the department.
The bill defines "respite care" to mean the provision of temporary, short-term care for, or the supervision of, an eligible child on behalf of the caregiver, in emergencies or on an intermittent basis to relieve the daily stresses and demands of caring for a child with a functional impairment. Respite care may be provided hourly or daily, may be provided by an agency-hired or self-hired respite worker or a volunteer, but may not exceed service and cost limitations as determined by the commissioner.
The bill defines an "agency-hired respite worker" as a respite care worker who is recruited, trained, and employed by a qualified agency under contract with the department. The bill additionally defines a "self-hired respite worker" as a respite care worker who is recruited, trained, and paid directly by a family of a child that is eligible for respite care services.