A 5536: Increases salaries for foster care direct care workers; makes an appropriation therefor.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5536 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. JACKSON -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Children and Families AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to increasing sala- ries for foster care direct care workers; and making an appropriation therefor The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature finds that the 2 COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the child welfare work- 3 force within the foster care system. Direct care workers have continued 4 to come to work every day throughout the pandemic, care for our most 5 vulnerable children, and are part of our essential workforce. While 6 other essential workers have been recognized or provided enhanced salary 7 payments, direct care workers in the child welfare system have not. 8 Moreover, the agencies that employ the foster care workforce have been 9 historically underfunded and as a result the compensation provided to 10 workers does not provide a living wage. 11 Therefore, the legislature proposes salaries for direct care workers 12 be increased starting with the 2025-2026 rate year and continued for the 13 following two years. This investment will help stabilize the current 14 turnover and vacancy rates within the direct care workforce which will 15 have a positive and beneficial impact on children in the foster care 16 system. 17 § 2. Section 398-a of the social services law is amended by adding a 18 new subdivision 2-d to read as follows: 19 (2-d) Payments made directly by social service districts to voluntary 20 foster care agencies to increase employee salaries during each of the 21 two thousand twenty-five--two thousand twenty-six, two thousand twenty- 22 six--two thousand twenty-seven, and two thousand twenty-seven--two thou- 23 sand twenty-eight rate years shall be supported by increased funding 24 available through the foster care block grant. Such payments shall be EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06707-01-5 
 A. 5536 2 1 used to increase the salaries of foster care agency employees, includ- 2 ing, but not limited to, direct care staff, caseworkers, and case plan- 3 ners, as well as the salaries of such workers' supervisors working in 4 such foster care agencies. 5 § 3. The sum of seventeen million dollars ($17,000,000), or so much 6 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the state insur- 7 ance fund out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to 8 the credit of the state purpose account, not otherwise appropriated, and 9 made immediately available for the purposes of increases in salaries of 10 foster care agency employees, including, but not limited to, direct care 11 staff, caseworkers, and case planners, as well as the salaries of such 12 workers' supervisors working in such foster care agencies. Such moneys 13 shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers 14 certified or approved by the department of social services in the manner 15 prescribed by law. 16 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.