Relating to programs and services under the purview of the department of human services including child care assistance, child and family services, foster care, adoption, and the dependent adult abuse information registry

This bill relates to programs and services under the purview of the department of human services including child care assistance, child and family services, foster care, adoption, and the dependent adult abuse information registry. STATE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE ELIGIBILITY. Division I relates to the state child care assistance (CCA) program. The CCA assists families in the payment of child care if the families meet certain eligibility guidelines. One circumstance is when a child’s parent, guardian, or custodian is absent for a limited period of time due to hospitalization, physical illness, or mental illness, or is present but is unable to care for the child for a limited period of time as verified by a physician. The bill eliminates the limited time period restriction for this circumstance. CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES FOSTER CARE SERVICE PAYMENTS. Division II relates to youth aging out of foster care. The bill changes the definition of “child” for the purposes of Code chapter 234 (child and family services) to mean either a person less than years of age or a person 18, 19, or years of age who was placed by court order issued pursuant to Code chapter 232 (juvenile justice) in foster care or in an institution under the control, management, direction, and operation of the department of human services (DHS) and has either, after reaching years of age, remained continuously and voluntarily placed with an individual licensed to provide foster care pursuant to Code chapter 237 or in a supervised apartment living arrangement in Iowa, or left foster care after reaching years of age but returned voluntarily for placement with an individual licensed to provide foster care or in a supervised apartment living arrangement in Iowa; the person has demonstrated a willingness to participate in case planning and to complete the responsibilities prescribed in the person’s case permanency plan; and DHS has made an application for the person for adult services upon a determination that it is likely the person will need or be eligible for services or other support from the adult services system. The bill limits payment for foster care services provided to a child who is years of age or older to supervised apartment living arrangements and individuals licensed to provide foster care in Iowa. Under current law, the state is only allowed to pay for family foster care or independent living arrangements for foster care services for a child who is years of age; independent living arrangements for a child who is years of age; and any foster care service provider for a child who is at imminent risk of becoming homeless or failing to graduate from high school or to obtain a general education development diploma, if the services are in the child’s best interest, funding is available for the services, and an appropriate alternative service is unavailable. The bill eliminates the requirement that DHS report annually to the governor and general assembly by January certain information relating to the numbers of children for whom the state paid independent living services during the immediately preceding fiscal year. ADOPTION. Division III relates to adoption. The bill requires, if the parents of a person to be adopted had their parental rights terminated, a petition for adoption to include the names of any known siblings placed separately from the person to be adopted and either the plan for ongoing contact between the siblings if a court found that continued contact is in the best interest of each sibling or a statement that the court has found continued contact between the siblings is not in the best interest of each sibling. The bill requires, if the parents of a person to be adopted had their parental rights terminated, a petition for adoption to include a copy of any court orders concerning whether ongoing contact between the person to be adopted and any siblings not placed with the person is in the best interest of each sibling. The bill requires a preplacement investigation report to provide information as to whether, if the parents of a prospective adoptive child had their parental rights terminated, there are siblings who have not been placed with a minor child to be adopted and whether there is an ongoing relationship between the siblings or a court order finding contact between the siblings is in the best interest of each sibling. The bill requires an adoption petitioner to provide notice of an adoption hearing to any siblings of the person to be adopted due to either an ongoing relationship or a court finding that ongoing contact is in the best interest of each sibling, if the person to be adopted was a minor child when the minor child’s parents had their parental rights terminated and the person to be adopted and the person’s siblings were not placed together. The bill requires a juvenile court or court to order the opening of the juvenile court or court’s permanent adoption record, permanent termination of parental rights record, or both, relating to an adopted person who is an adult, upon request of the adopted person if the parents of the adopted person had their parental rights terminated. DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE PROTECTIVE SERVICES. Division IV relates to dependent adult abuse protective services. Under current law, if DHS receives an allegation of dependent adult abuse, DHS will investigate the allegation and create a dependent adult abuse report. The bill allows DHS, during the course of an assessment, evaluation, or investigation of a report of dependent adult abuse, to disclose the initiation and status of the dependent adult abuse evaluation to the dependent adult’s bank, savings association, credit union, security administrator, broker-dealer, investment advisor, financial advisor, or other financial institution, or the commissioner of insurance or the commissioner’s deputy if DHS reasonably determines that such disclosure is necessary for the protection of a dependent adult’s resources. The bill authorizes a bank, savings association, credit union, security administrator, broker-dealer, investment advisor, financial advisor, other financial institution, the commissioner of insurance, or the commissioner’s deputy, and the social security administration to have access to founded dependent adult abuse information of a dependent adult if deemed necessary by DHS to protect the dependent adult’s resources. The bill authorizes the social security administration and the commissioner of insurance and the commissioner’s deputy access to founded dependent adult abuse information.15 (foster care review).