New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

New York Senate Bill S09771

Introduced
4/6/26  

Caption

Relates to liability to support a child who is placed in foster care pursuant to an approved application for foster care maintenance; provides that such liability shall not be imposed if it will adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of the child on whose behalf such payments are to be made or other persons in the child's household or will adversely affect the length of the child's placement or impair the ability of the child to return home when discharged from foster care; limits the ability of a county or local social services district to cause a referral to be sent for the purpose of commencing collection of child support for a child placed in foster care.

Impact

The bill introduces a critical change in how child support liabilities are handled for children in foster care. By limiting the ability of counties or local social services districts to refer cases for support collections that could harm a child's placement or their chances of returning home, it emphasizes a more compassionate approach to child welfare. This could potentially reshape existing practices and influence local policies relating to child support in foster care situations.

Summary

S09771 addresses the issue of liability for child support payments in the context of children placed in foster care. It specifies that liability to support a child under foster care cannot be imposed if such payments would adversely affect the health, safety, or welfare of the child or other households associated with the child. This provision is significant as it highlights the need to prioritize the well-being of children in foster care placements and aims to ensure that financial obligations do not compromise their safety or quality of life.

Contention

Notable points of contention may arise regarding the balance between financial obligations and child welfare. Some stakeholders may view the restrictions on support collection as necessary to protect children's interests, while others could argue that it might result in a gap in financial support for the foster care system. There may be concerns about the implications for local social services' budgets and the broader effects on child support enforcement, especially in areas already facing challenges in ensuring adequate funding for foster care services.

Companion Bills

NY A01036

Same As Relates to liability to support a child who is placed in foster care pursuant to an approved application for foster care maintenance; provides that such liability shall not be imposed if it will adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of the child on whose behalf such payments are to be made or other persons in the child's household or will adversely affect the length of the child's placement or impair the ability of the child to return home when discharged from foster care; limits the ability of a county or local social services district to cause a referral to be sent for the purpose of commencing collection of child support for a child placed in foster care.

Previously Filed As

NY A01036

Relates to liability to support a child who is placed in foster care pursuant to an approved application for foster care maintenance; provides that such liability shall not be imposed if it will adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of the child on whose behalf such payments are to be made or other persons in the child's household or will adversely affect the length of the child's placement or impair the ability of the child to return home when discharged from foster care; limits the ability of a county or local social services district to cause a referral to be sent for the purpose of commencing collection of child support for a child placed in foster care.

NY S03660

Relates to liability to support a child who is placed in foster care pursuant to an approved application for foster care maintenance; provides that such liability shall not be imposed if it will adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of the child on whose behalf such payments are to be made or other persons in the child's household or will adversely affect the length of the child's placement or impair the ability of the child to return home when discharged from foster care; limits the ability of a county or local social services district to cause a referral to be sent for the purpose of commencing collection of child support for a child placed in foster care.

NY HB1779

Supporting the cultural background of children placed in foster care.

NY HB4750

Children: foster care; department to use or conserve benefits for children in foster care in the best interests of the children in foster care; provide. Amends 1994 PA 203 (MCL 722.951 - 722.960) by adding sec. 8f.

NY A02726

Includes both the birth family and the foster family of children in foster care, and other families receiving child welfare services from the authorized agency or the local departments of social services in the case of authorized agencies in the definition of family for purposes of services provided by voluntary foster care agency health facilities.

NY S09237

Includes both the birth family and the foster family of children in foster care, and other families receiving child welfare services from the authorized agency or the local departments of social services in the case of authorized agencies in the definition of family for purposes of services provided by voluntary foster care agency health facilities.

NY S08204

Provides that no person shall be precluded from being deemed a "prospective relative guardian" based on whether such person's relationship with the child was established before or after such child's placement into foster care.

NY HF953

A bill for an act relating to legal representation for children who are placed in, or may be placed in, foster care.(Formerly HF 373.)

NY HF1918

Department of Children, Youth, and Families policy language; TEACH early childhood program, great start compensation support payment program, child welfare policies, and out-of-home placement plans updated; and provisions to prevent foster care placements modified.

NY HB579

Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025This bill requires state plans for child welfare services to provide for the development and implementation of a family partnership plan to improve foster care placement stability, increase rates of kinship placements, and align the composition of foster and adoptive families with the needs of children in or entering foster care.The Children's Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families also must include in its annual report information from states about the number, demographics, and characteristics of foster and adoptive families as well as a summary of the challenges related to recruiting and being foster or adoptive parents.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.