STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2446

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2772

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2772 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOSTER CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to support foster care providers by increasing the minimum monthly foster care basic board rate and the foster care maximum difficulty of care rate.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Catholic Charities Hawaii; EPIC Ohana, Inc.; Family Programs Hawaii; Hale Opio Kauai, Inc.; Hawaii Foster Youth Coalition; Hawaii Youth Services Network; National Association of Social Workers, Hawaii Chapter; YMCA of Honolulu; HI H.O.P.E.S.; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; and ten individuals.

     Your Committee finds that it is time to increase the rate of monthly board payments and monthly difficulty of care rate payments for foster families.  The current rate of $529 per month has not been changed for over two decades, and is not enough to meet the needs of children in foster care considering the increasing costs of rent and living expenses in Hawaii.  Your Committee further finds that the recruitment of foster families has become increasingly challenging for agencies, and it is important to be able to reasonably compensate the families for the living expenses of the children for whom they care.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2772, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2772, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair