The bill permits county departments of human or social services (county departments) to enter into an agreement with one or more facilities to provide emergency temporary shelter to children who are neglected and dependent, who are taken into temporary custody, or who have had contact with law enforcement and are unable to return home. Emergency temporary shelter is described in the bill as the temporary
care of a child in a physically unrestricted setting for no more than 5 days, pending a return to the child's home or placement in an alternate setting. Receiving temporary care in emergency temporary shelter is voluntary, and a child may leave emergency temporary shelter at any time. A county department may contract with any of the following facilities to provide emergency temporary shelter in the county: Group care facilities and homes or a foster care home, homeless youth shelter, residential child care facility, respite child care center, specialized group facility, or any other licensed or certified 24-hour nonsecure care and treatment facility away from the child's parent or guardian. A county can enter into agreements with more than one facility, and 2 or more counties may jointly enter into an agreement with a facility. The bill requires the general assembly to appropriate money to the state department of human services (state department) for emergency temporary shelter services. The state department allocates the money to a county after approving the county's emergency temporary shelter plan.
