2025 -- H 5396

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LC001191

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN,

YOUTH AND FAMILIES

     Introduced By: Representatives Casimiro, Noret, Spears, Donovan, Speakman, Carson,
Morales, Roberts, and Shanley

     Date Introduced: February 07, 2025

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 42-72-5.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-72 entitled "Department

of Children, Youth and Families" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     42-72-5.3. Accreditation.

     (a)(1) The standards set by the Council on Accreditation (COA) are nationally recognized

as best practices for protecting and providing services to abused and neglected children;

     (2) Achieving and maintaining these standards requires a solid commitment from the

legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government;

     (3) It is the intent of the general assembly to provide the resources for the department of

children, youth and families to meet, achieve, and sustain accreditation by the Council on

Accreditation.

     (b) The department of children, youth and families (the "department") shall initiate the

process for seeking COA accreditation no later than September 1, 2019, and shall submit an

accreditation plan to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the

senate, the chairperson of the house committee on health, education and welfare, the chairperson

of the senate committee on health and human services, the chairpersons of the finance committees

of the house and senate, and to the chairpersons of the judiciary committees of the house and senate

no later than October 1, 2020. Said plan shall include, at a minimum, the following:

     (1) Inputs, including updated staffing requirements, a timetable for achieving those

requirements, and any additional costs associated with achieving accreditation;

     (2) Outcomes, including an assessment based on statistical and other evidence, of the

impact of accreditation on the number of abused and neglected children, the nature of their abuse,

and the relationships between such children and their families.

     (c) Caseloads for department workers.

     (1) Regardless of the status of COA accreditation, the department shall apply general

caseload limits for department workers in a manner similar to those contained in COA caseload

standards for public agencies. More specifically, caseloads for workers shall support the

achievement of child and family outcomes, shall be regularly reviewed, and generally shall not

exceed the following:

     (i) Twelve (12) active investigations at a time, including no more than eight (8) new

investigations per month;

     (ii) Fourteen (14) families receiving ongoing in-home services;

     (iii) Twelve (12) children in out-of-home care, and their families; and

     (iv) Eight (8) children in treatment foster care, and their families.

     (2) By “generally,” it is understood that there may be circumstances under which caseloads

may exceed these limits, such as when the department is faced with temporary staff vacancies or

when administrative case functions are assigned to other personnel; however, the department shall

make all efforts to meet the caseload numbers set forth in this subsection.

     (d) The department shall conduct a pay rate review annually for current employees, to

ensure the department is competitive with its compensation to employees. The department shall

conduct an analysis of New England states' salaries for similar employees, and shall compensate

current employees based on the data collected. The director is hereby authorized to promulgate

rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN,

YOUTH AND FAMILIES

***

     This act would establish general caseload limits for DCYF workers similar to those

contained in the Council on Accreditation standards as well as require payment of employees based

on salaries in other New England States annually.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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