Requiring an audit and report on foster care placement notices.

The New York State Social Services Law and Family Court Act require that when a foster care placement changes, a social services agency or worker must provide the attorney for the child with notice of the change in placement. This bill would require the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to conduct annual audits of foster care placement notifications. The audit would include a review of instances in which a notice was not provided as required, the time elapsed between a change in foster care placement and when the placement notice was provided, whether each notice included the information required by law, and a summary of the information that was missing from the notice. ACS would be required to report to the Mayor and the Speaker of the Council, and post on the ACS website, a report with the results of its audit from the preceding year.