Joint Budget Committee. The bill requires the state department
of human services (state department), beginning in state fiscal year 2024-25, to use the child welfare allocations funding model (funding model) to determine the capped and targeted allocations for child welfare services and the funding required for adoption and relative guardianship
subsidies, the independent living program, additional county child welfare staff, and family and children's programs.
The funding model determines the appropriate level of funding
required to fully meet all state and federal requirements concerning the comprehensive delivery of child welfare services. The bill clarifies what must be included in the funding model and requires the state department and the child welfare allocations committee to annually submit a report on the funding model to the joint budget committee.
The department is required to enter into a 3-year agreement with
an outside entity to annually modify the funding model based on recommendations from the child welfare allocations committee and evaluations and deliver the results of the model each year. The bill requires a child welfare workload study to inform the funding model. To maintain the integrity of the data used in the funding model, the child welfare allocations committee shall annually examine county practices regarding data collection and financial management, an evaluation group annually evaluates the funding model, and, every 3 years, an outside evaluating entity conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation of the funding model.
