Child Protection

Oppose HB 3859 Regarding Children Served by Faith-Based Foster Care Providers

Testimony to the House Committee on State Affairs

HB 3859 has 3 provisions aimed at ensuring children’s rights are protected. However, we are concerned that HB 3859 could be interpreted to limit children’s rights or hurt a child’s well-being based on a provider’s religious beliefs. We recommend 2 changes to ensure HB 3859 will not allow providers to discriminate against children for religious reasons.

Testimony on HB 6

Testimony to the House Committee on Human Services

We support expanding community-based foster care. However, that expansion must proceed with caution and clarity. To reach that goal, we support strengthening HB 6 provisions regarding the timeline for expanding community-based care, oversight, qualifications of an SSCC, rate setting, contingency plans, and contract compliance. We look forward to working with the author and the Committee to address these issues and ensure next steps in community foster care are in the best interests of children.