SB801: Children's Services Act; changes to state pool of funds.

Legislative Summary

Children's Services Act; state pool of funds. Makes a number of changes to the Children's Services Act state pool of funds for the provision of public or private nonresidential or residential services for troubled youth and families, including (i) removing from the purpose of the state pool of funds the consolidation of categorical agency funding and the institution of community responsibility for the provision of services; (ii) removing language specifying that references to funding sources and current placement authority for the target population served by the state pool of funds are for the purpose of accounting for the funds and should not be intended to categorize children and youth into funding streams in order to access services; (iii) modifying the target population served by the state pool of funds by (a) removing references to the Department of Education's private tuition assistance and the Interagency Assistance Fund for Noneducational Placement for Handicapped Children and (b) adding children and youth who are determined to be a child in need of services, as such term is defined in relevant law; (iv) removing the requirement that the financial and legal responsibility for certain special education services remains with the placing jurisdiction, unless the placing jurisdiction has transitioned all appropriate services; (v) requiring that the uniform assessment instrument used to determine eligibility for funding through the state pool of funds be approved by the State Executive Council for Children's Services; and (vi) modifying the eligibility criteria for funding through the state pool of funds by adding language that (a) specifies that the child or youth's emotional or behavioral problems have resulted in the child or youth, or place the child or youth at imminent risk of, entering purchased residential care and (b) includes the determination by a court that the child or youth is a child in need of services, as such term is defined in relevant law. The bill also includes technical changes. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth.