STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1545_______

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.R. No. 176
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred H.R. No. 176 entitled: 

     "HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
     SERVICES TO IMPLEMENT AND UTILIZE THE CHILDREN'S VILLAGE
     CONCEPT FOR OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT WHEN APPROPRIATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to offer an innovative and
effective alternative to traditional foster care by requesting
the Department of Human Services (DHS) to implement and utilize
the Children's Village concept for out-of-home placement, when
appropriate.

     DHS testified in opposition to this measure stating that it
is premature for DHS to commit to the implementation of the
Children's Village model.  According to DHS, there has been no
study to determine the feasibility of bringing this model of
long-term foster care to Hawaii.  Additionally, unlike Florida,
no one has stepped forward to donate the land for such a village,
to pay for its construction, or to ensure the non-public funding
for a significant portion of the estimated $30,000 per year per
child cost for village operation.

     Cognizant of DHS's concerns, your Committee has amended this
measure by:

     (1)  Requesting DHS to consider utilizing, instead of
          implementing, the Children's Village concept for out-
          of-home placement, when appropriate;

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1545_______
                                 Page 2

 

     (2)  Changing the title to read: "REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT
          OF HUMAN SERVICES TO CONSIDER UTILIZING THE CHILDREN'S
          VILLAGE CONCEPT FOR OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT WHEN
          APPROPRIATE";

     (3)  Urging DHS to assess the Children's Village concept and
          determine the feasibility of bringing this model to
          Hawaii;

     (4)  Urging the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) and
          the Housing and Community Development Corporation
          (Corporation) to assess the Children's Village concept,
          in particular the housing component, and determine the
          feasibility of bringing this model to Hawaii given
          Hawaii's housing environment;

     (5)  Requesting DHS to report its findings and
          recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty
          days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of
          2000; and

     (6)  Requesting DHHL and the Corporation to submit one
          report of its findings and recommendations to the
          Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
          convening of the Regular Session of 2000;

     (7)  Providing that certified copies of this resolution be
          transmitted to the Director of DHHL and the Executive
          Director of the Corporation; and

     (8)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity
          and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this
report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of
H.R. No. 176, as amended herein, and recommends that it be
referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto
as H.R. No. 176, H.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Human Services
                                   and Housing,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair