Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 240 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to allow the Blueprint for Change Project to provide diversion and child protective services for families at-risk for abuse and neglect.

Blueprint for Change and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Department of Human Services provided comments.

Your Committees find that Blueprint for Change provides a much-needed service through its Neighborhood Places sites. The Neighborhood Places have proven to be successful in helping families at-risk for abuse or neglect keep their children out of the child welfare system. Blueprint for Change is requesting $890,000 to fund existing services and to expand the Neighborhood Place concept to three additional communities.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 240, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 240, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.