THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

93

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting the establishment of an ad hoc committee to study the continuation of services after the planned closing of the casey family programs' hawaii offices.

 

WHEREAS, Casey Family Programs has been serving children and families in Hawaii with high quality support and programs for nineteen years; and

WHEREAS, Casey Family Programs has been a leader in advocating for foster children and their families, both locally and nationally; and

WHEREAS, Casey Family Programs' vision is to help families, especially those in poverty and those of color, to raise healthy, resilient children, and to support children put at risk by family circumstances to have the means to grow into hopeful citizens with worthy futures; and

WHEREAS, Casey Family Programs has been recognized throughout the nation as a leader in child welfare reform; and

WHEREAS, Casey Family Programs has recently been highlighting the special needs of youth transitioning out of foster care and into adulthood, and their needs for continuing support in the areas of education, job training, housing, and health; and

WHEREAS, the recent decision by the Casey Board of Trustees to close the offices in Honolulu and Hilo will leave a serious gap in the continuum of services to abused and neglected children in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, Casey Family Programs is currently responsible for one hundred fifty children and youth, and served a total of four hundred fifty children and youth in 2002; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii State Legislature is deeply concerned about the loss of this excellent program in Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, the House of Representatives concurring, that an ad hoc public-private partnership committee be formed to explore alternative options for maintaining the high quality services that have been provided by the Casey Family Programs in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Friends of Foster Kids acting as the convenor of the ad hoc committee, the Departments of Health and Human Services, and the Family Court join with the Casey Family Programs and other concerned agencies and organizations to discuss the possible options for continued services to foster children; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this partnership explore such ideas as new purchase of service contracts, privatizing some Department of Human Services services in collaboration with new partners, and seeking additional private and foundation funding, among others; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a report be submitted to the State Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the opening of the 2004 Regular Session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Directors of Human Services and Health; the Administrator of the Family Court; the Director of the Casey Family Programs; and the President of the Board of Friends for Foster Kids.

Report Title:

Continuation of services after Casey Family Programs' closure.