HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

183

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011

H.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

ENCOURAGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING A COMPUTER APPLICATION FOR FOSTER YOUTH WHO ARE TRANSITIONING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.

 

 


     WHEREAS, the transition from foster care to adulthood is a very difficult path for many former foster care individuals; and

 

     WHEREAS, former foster youth frequently leave foster care with little more than paper copies of essential personal information; and

 

     WHEREAS, former foster youth may not have a permanent living arrangement established and may move from house to house, and in this process may lose their vital documents; and

 

     WHEREAS, losing vital documents may present obstacles to former foster youth when applying for a job, completing an application to college, or receiving medical care; and

 

     WHEREAS, to address this challenge, a leading information technology and business process services provider, developed a computer application; and

 

     WHEREAS, this secure, password-protected, web-based foster youth computer application can be accessed from any computer; and

 

     WHEREAS, this computer application houses a foster youth's health and education information and personal and professional contacts, and allows for the upload and storage of personal documents such as a copy of a birth certificate, social security card, and resume; and

 

     WHEREAS, a leading information technology and business process services provider is seeking a partnership with a state department that would be interested in implementing this computer application on a statewide basis; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Human Services is the state department that provides independent living services to assist and support foster youth with their transition from foster care to adult self-sufficiency; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, that the Department of Human Services is encouraged to consider partnering with a leading information technology and business process services provider to implement a computer application throughout the State's foster care system as a means to assist and support foster youth with their successful transition out of foster care; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Services, Executive Director of Mental Health America of Hawaii, and members of the Hawaii Transition Age Youth Task Force.

 

 

 

Report Title: 

Department of Human Services; Foster Youth; My Safe Drawer