YOUTH SAFETY AND PERMANENCY- Relates to the appropriation to the Department of Health and Welfare for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

This appropriation to the Department of Health and Welfare for the Division of Youth Safety and Permanency provides enhancements to the FY 2026 maintenance budget and adjustments to the FY 2025 appropriation. For FY 2026 this bill includes funding for five enhancements and population forecast adjustments. Enhancements include: prevention specialist staff to allow more children to be served safely in their homes by a family service workerpreventionspecialistsupportingboththechildandfamily; youthsafetyandpermanencystafftoprovide needs assessments to any child who has entered or is projected to enter a high level of care such as residential treatment or group homes; foster program clinical staff assigned to the congregate care unit to provide intensive support to foster families who have accepted placement of a youth with high emotional, behavioral, and mental healthneeds,aswellastoprovidea24/7supportlineforfosterparent; fosterprogramlicensingstafftofacilitate thelicensingprocessforbothfosterfamiliesandrelatedkin; andfundingforthecontinuedleasingandoperation ofthePayetteAssessmentandCareCenterforfosteryouth. ThetotalnumberofnewFTPbeingaddedtoYouth Safety and Permanency in this appropriation is 63.00. The bill also includes a FY 2025 supplemental appropriation for mid-year population forecast adjustments. This bill includes five sections of language providing guidance on federal funding limitations, directing the division to provide reports to the Legislature on the status of meeting the 1:1 ratio of foster families to foster children, as well as language that provides transfer limitation exemptions for Youth Safety and Permanency in FY 2025 and FY 2026, and the standard conditions, limitations, and restrictions language. Thisbilldoesnotincludeanappropriationforthepurchaseof, andfull-timestaffingfor, thePayetteAssessment and Care Center. This bill also does not include six additional licensing staff requested by the department.