House File 423 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 423 BY SCHULTE A BILL FOR An Act relating to quality standards for children in a foster 1 care, preadoption or adoption, or subsidized guardianship 2 placement. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1977YH (3) 84 jp/nh
H.F. 423 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 234.5 Quality standards for 1 children in placement —— legislative intent. 2 1. For the purposes of this section, “child in placement” 3 means a child in a foster care, preadoption or adoption, or 4 subsidized guardianship placement in accordance with a court 5 order or agreement with the department of human services. 6 2. It is the intent of the general assembly that the 7 department of human services and others providing care or 8 other support for a child in placement will strive to attain 9 the quality standards enumerated in this subsection. The 10 quality standards for each child in placement include all of 11 the following: 12 a. Being treated with respect. 13 b. Being safe and well cared for. 14 c. Being accepted for who they are. 15 d. Maintaining and developing lifelong family connections. 16 e. Being fully informed about changes that affect them and 17 why the changes are being made. 18 f. Having an opportunity to attend hearings regarding their 19 care. 20 g. Receiving adequate health and mental health care. 21 h. Having access to a good, stable education. 22 i. Attaining the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to 23 become an independent adult. 24 j. Achieving permanency. 25 k. Receiving assistance if these quality standards are not 26 being attained. 27 3. The department of human services shall work with 28 those persons providing care and other support to children 29 in placement to develop written materials and other forms of 30 communication to build awareness among providers and children 31 in placement concerning the quality standards enumerated in 32 this section. 33 EXPLANATION 34 This bill relates to quality standards for a “child in 35 -1- LSB 1977YH (3) 84 jp/nh 1/ 2
H.F. 423 placement”, which is defined by the bill in new Code section 1 234.5 to mean a child in a foster care, preadoption or 2 adoption, or subsidized guardianship placement in accordance 3 with a court order or agreement with the department of human 4 services. 5 The bill states legislative intent that the department 6 of human services and others providing care or other support 7 for a child in placement will strive to attain a list of 8 quality standards for each child during placement. The list 9 includes being treated with respect, receiving adequate health 10 and mental health care, achieving permanency, and receiving 11 assistance if the quality standards are not being attained. 12 The department is required to work with other persons to 13 develop written materials and other forms of communication 14 to build awareness among providers and children in placement 15 concerning the quality standards. 16 -2- LSB 1977YH (3) 84 jp/nh 2/ 2