Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Foster Care Congregate Care topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee sends bill to floor tightening review of unlicensed congregate foster placements
Summary
Senate Bill 1035, sponsored by Senator Nicole LeFavour Wintrow, would build on 2024 reforms to require director-level reviews every 14 days of children placed in unlicensed congregate care settings and to specify review criteria. The committee recommended the bill be sent to the floor with a due pass.
Senator Wintrow identified herself and presented Senate Bill 1035, a proposal that builds on last year’s reforms to restrict unregulated congregate care placements. "The bill additions include for a child placed in an unlicensed group care setting, including Airbnb, the director shall review the placement every 14 days," she told the committee.
Wintrow said the 2024 legislation (Senate Bill 1379) had ended the practice of placing foster children in short-term rentals and other unregulated settings; she said the Department of Health and Welfare reported no children remain in Airbnbs since that law took effect. SB1035 would require a director-level review that assesses a placed child’s safety, treatment needs, facility services, treatment plan, discharge plan and progress toward discharge. If the director’s review finds a placement inappropriate, the bill would require the department to find a new appropriate placement.
Provider testimony supported the changes. Craig Anderson, owner/operator of Hinge Point Youth Homes, told the committee he helped draft the revised language and said the language was unanimously agreed by providers and the department during stakeholder meetings. Bridal Shipley, testifying as a private citizen, urged passage on behalf of at-risk youth and highlighted the importance of timely assessments and least-restrictive placements.
Senators asked whether the 14-day review cadence would require additional department staff. Wintrow said the department had absorbed earlier requirements without hiring additional staff and that the intent is to preserve clinical time in residential treatment while ensuring director-level oversight for unlicensed placements.
Senator Blaylock moved to send Senate Bill 1035 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
