Amendment ID: S3111-43

Amendment 43

Language Metrics Reporting

Messrs. Brady and Payano move that the proposed new text be amended inserting in place thereof the following text:—

"The department shall file a consolidated annual report on its operations with the clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives, the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with disabilities, and the Office of the Child Advocate. Said report shall include a distinct section entitled 'Language and Cultural Equity Metrics' which shall contain aggregated, non-identifying data concerning:

(i) the total number and percentage of children under the care or custody of the department whose primary language is other than English, disaggregated by specific language spoken and by area office;

(ii) the total number and percentage of non-English speaking children who have been successfully placed in language-matched kinship or foster care settings;

(iii) the total number of bilingual caseworkers actively employed by the department, disaggregated by language proficiency and assigned area office, including the ratio of bilingual caseworkers to non-English speaking families within each area office; and

(iv) a comprehensive, data-driven recruitment and retention plan designed to eliminate any identified gaps between the linguistic needs of children in care and the available foster home and staff capacities within each region.".