STAND. COM. REP. NO. 589

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 428

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 428, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Blueprint for Change Project.

     One individual submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Human Services submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that, in response to the need for child welfare reform, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 89, (1994), created a child welfare services reform task force, known as the Blueprint for Change Task Force, to develop a blueprint for reform in child welfare services.  The task force found a need to provide coordinated and comprehensive community-based services to families at risk for child abuse and neglect.

     As a result of the work of the Blueprint for Change Task Force, the Legislature enacted Act 302, Session Laws of Hawaii 1996, to create "neighborhood places" or sites around the State that enable professionals to work with families identified by the child welfare system or by community members as families at risk for child abuse and neglect.  It is through the neighborhood places that families can receive necessary services before their risk level rise to the point of more costly intervention efforts within the child welfare system.  Without continued funding for the Blueprint for Change Project, the Neighborhood Places Program will not be able to continue to carry out important child welfare reform and assist at-risk families

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 428, S.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair