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Committee refines House Bill 219 language to set up Kids Apart visitation and reentry supports
Summary
Lawmakers and program staff discussed edits to House Bill 219, which would create a Kids Apart program to provide individualized visitation, communication resources and reentry support for children of incarcerated parents; DOC will provide physical visitation space and the department may fund services via grants or contracts.
Lawmakers and program staff revised language for House Bill 219 on Thursday as they work to establish a Kids Apart program to support children of incarcerated parents, focusing on individualized services, child-friendly visitation and reentry coordination.
The discussion centered on what the program would actually provide and how those services would be delivered and funded. Committee members and program staff agreed to draft new bill language reflecting a phased rollout and clarified that the Department of Corrections (DOC) will supply physical visitation space while Kids Apart would help create a child-friendly atmosphere within that space.
The bill text under review lists six program elements: individualized services and programming; resources to help incarcerated parents plan and communicate with their children and caregivers; child-friendly visitation spaces; outreach and coordination with community services; reentry support and preparation; and cross-system coordination. Committee members suggested inserting the words "individualized" and "intended to…
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