Representative Kane advances bill to share aggregated foster‑care data with resource‑family partners

Representative Kane told the committee that Senate Bill 1983 would direct the Department of Human Services to provide foster‑care data to Resource Family Partners — private child‑placing agencies under contract with DHS — so those partners can better “direct and manage the foster care where it's needed most.”

Kane said the information would be aggregated and would not include private data. He described examples of useful metrics as locations of shortages, where siblings have been separated and where resources should be directed to reunite families. “If you can't measure it, you can't manage it,” Kane said.

Representative Wold asked what types of information would be shared and which organizations would receive it; Kane reiterated that the intended recipients are the Resource Family Partners named in the bill and that the data would be non‑identifying and aggregated. Representative Hill, speaking as a former foster parent and recruiter, said the resource could help families across all 77 counties and offered to co‑author the bill: “this could really be a great resource across the state in all 77 counties,” Hill said.

The committee moved and seconded the bill. The clerk called the roll; the committee reported the bill out of committee to the oversight committee on a unanimous 6–0 vote. The committee chair congratulated the sponsor and closed the item. The bill will advance to the oversight committee for further consideration.