Report Title:

Child Protection; Child Placement; Payments

Description:

Makes appropriation for difficulty of care payments to parents who adopt children covered by the Child Protective Act.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

241

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION RELATING TO ADOPTION OF CHILDREN UNDER the CHILD PROTECTIVE ACT.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that existing law requires the department of human services to assume foster custody of abused and neglected children from the police under the Child Protective Act, section 587-24, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS). If a child cannot safely be returned to the family home, even after services have been provided to the family, the child may be adopted under section 587-73(b)(3)(A), HRS.

If a child has been determined by the department of human services to have a mental or physical handicap that warrants adoption assistance or adoption assistance with difficulty-of-care (DOC) payments, payment assistance may be provided until the child reaches age twenty-one.

Currently, the DOC payment is allowed up to $570 per month, in addition to the adoption assistance payment of $529 per month. Payments have risen due to an increase in the number of children who are eligible for adoption assistance and DOC payments. However, the department of human services lacks funds and is unable to cover the added costs of DOC payments.

The legislature further finds that DOC payments help adoptive parents by relieving the financial burden of permanently caring for a special needs child. The payments provide encouragement to families to adopt special needs children, and promote timely placement of children in adoptive homes. The payments also prevent the shuffling of children from foster home to foster home.

The purpose of this Act is to provide funding for DOC payments to adoptive parents.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,200,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004, to provide difficulty of care payments to parents who adopt children covered by chapter 587, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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