H259 - 2023 Appropriations Act. (SL 2023-134)

Overview: Section 9J.2 of S.L. 2023-134 requires the Intensive Family Preservation Services (IFPS) Program to provide intensive services to (i) children and families in cases of abuse, neglect, and dependency where a child is at imminent risk of removal from the home and (ii) children and families in cases of abuse where a child is not at imminent risk of removal. The Program must be implemented statewide on a regional basis. Any program that receives funding under IFPS must provide data that shows the following:

• An established follow-up system with a minimum of six months of follow-up services.
• Detailed information on the specific interventions applied, including utilization indicators and performance measurement.
• Cost-benefit data.
• Data on long-term benefits associated with IFPS.
• The number of families remaining intact and the associated interventions while in IFPS and 12 months thereafter.
• The number and percentage, by race, of children who received IFPS compared to the ratio of their distribution in the general population involved with Child Protective Services.

The Department of Health and Human Services must report annually to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Research Division on the data provided by the programs that receive funding. This report must be made by December 1 of each year.

This section became effective July 1, 2023.