HB 1382: RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the malama ohana working group established by Act 86, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, was tasked with recommending transformative changes to the State's existing child welfare system.  For fifteen months, seventeen members of the working group representing those serving youth, as well as youth, families, and community members throughout the State, opened their hearts and listened deeply to the stories of lived experience in the child welfare system.  They worked to develop recommendations to establish a child welfare system that is trauma-informed, sustains a community-based partnership, and responds to the needs of children and families in the system and the community.  The result of this work was a powerful vision for transforming how Hawaii supports families and protects children.

     Among the many recommendations to move toward this vision was to strengthen the capacity of the child welfare services branch to manage cases that are complicated by domestic violence experienced by a parent or children in the family.  Where there is domestic violence, the child welfare services system must differentiate between parents who are cooperating with the system from those using the system to punish or continue abusing their partner.

     The legislature further finds that child welfare services social workers support and advocate for families and children experiencing domestic violence through counseling, as well as connecting clients with legal and community resources that support safety and stability.  One such resource is provided through a one-year contract between the department of human services and Domestic Violence Services for Families, a non-profit that provides referred clients with individual and group education, counseling, safety and service plans, supervised visitation, parenting skills, and temporary restraining order assistance, if needed.

     In 2024, the child welfare services branch received approximately five hundred one reports involving children experiencing domestic violence, with one hundred eight of these reports identifying confirmed child victims.  To assist the child welfare services branch with better detecting and servicing the growing number of cases of domestic violence, three new initiatives will need to be implemented.

     The first initiative will be achieved through specialized comprehensive domestic violence training for all child welfare services branch staff by function of each different type of staff:  intake, assessment, case management, and permanency.  Intake and case management staff will be trained to do universal screening to measure the level of exposure to and involvement in violence in the home and community, as well as other risk factors.  Assessment and permanency social workers will be trained to manage domestic violence cases with skills in assessing child and family needs, creating safety plans, gathering witness declarations, and requesting medical records.

     The second initiative is to create a tracking system to monitor identified domestic violence cases and report on the numbers, what specialized services were offered and used, and the dispositions of the cases.  This will help ensure domestic violence cases are being monitored, identify patterns of behavior that may be used to predict risk, and provide data to inform policies for effective service delivery.

     The third initiative is to have automatic referral of domestic violence identified cases to conduct joint case planning with a non-profit specialist in domestic violence.  The specialists should, wherever possible, be located on-site at the child welfare services branch offices to be more of a presence and to work with the staff right when they are needed.  The collaborative work will build systemic capacity within the child welfare workforce to investigate domestic violence and to support and engage with families during the child welfare services intervention.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the department of human services to contract with a non-profit specializing in domestic violence to provide training and staff to be housed on-site in child welfare services branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the department of human services to contract with a non-profit specializing in domestic violence to provide training and staff to be housed on-site in child welfare services branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

Report Title:

Department of Human Services; Child Welfare Services; Domestic Violence; Training; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds for the Department of Human Services to contract with a non-profit specializing in domestic violence to provide training and staff to be housed on-site in Child Welfare Services Branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to child welfare services.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the malama ohana working group established by Act 86, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, was tasked with recommending transformative changes to the State's existing child welfare system.  For fifteen months, seventeen members of the working group representing those serving youth, as well as youth, families, and community members throughout the State, opened their hearts and listened deeply to the stories of lived experience in the child welfare system.  They worked to develop recommendations to establish a child welfare system that is trauma-informed, sustains a community-based partnership, and responds to the needs of children and families in the system and the community.  The result of this work was a powerful vision for transforming how Hawaii supports families and protects children.

     Among the many recommendations to move toward this vision was to strengthen the capacity of the child welfare services branch to manage cases that are complicated by domestic violence experienced by a parent or children in the family.  Where there is domestic violence, the child welfare services system must differentiate between parents who are collaborating with the system from those using the system to punish or continue abusing their partner.

     The legislature further finds that child welfare services social workers support and advocate for families and children experiencing domestic violence through counseling, as well as connecting clients with legal and community resources that support safety and stability.  One such resource is provided through a one-year contract between the department of human services and Domestic Violence Services for Families, a non-profit that provides referred clients with individual and group education, counseling, safety and service plans, supervised visitation, parenting skills, and temporary restraining order assistance, if needed.

     In 2024, the child welfare services branch received approximately five hundred one reports involving children experiencing domestic violence, with one hundred eight of these reports identifying confirmed child victims.  To assist the child welfare services branch with better detecting and servicing the growing number of cases of domestic violence, three new initiatives will need to be implemented.

     The first initiative will be achieved through specialized comprehensive domestic violence training for all child welfare services branch staff by function of each different type of staff:  intake, assessment, case management, and permanency.  Intake and case management staff will be trained to do universal screening to measure the level of exposure to and involvement in violence in the home and community, as well as other risk factors.  Assessment and permanency social workers will be trained to manage domestic violence cases with skills in assessing child and family needs, creating safety plans, gathering witness declarations, and requesting medical records.

     The second initiative is to create a tracking system to monitor identified domestic violence cases and report on the numbers, what specialized services were offered and used, and the dispositions of the cases.  This will help ensure domestic violence cases are being monitored, identify patterns of behavior that may be used to predict risk, and provide data to inform policies for effective service delivery.

     The third initiative is to have automatic referral of domestic violence identified cases to conduct joint case planning with a non-profit specialist in domestic violence.  The specialists should, wherever possible, be located on-site at the child welfare services branch offices to be more of a presence and to work with the staff right when they are needed.  The collaborative work will build systemic capacity within the child welfare workforce to investigate domestic violence and to support and engage with families during the child welfare services intervention.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the department of human services to contract with a non-profit specializing in domestic violence to provide training and staff to be housed on-site in child welfare services branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the department of human services to contract with a non-profit specializing in domestic violence to provide training and staff to be housed on-site in child welfare services branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

Report Title:

Department of Human Services; Child Welfare Services; Domestic Violence; Training; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds for the Department of Human Services to contract with a non-profit specializing in domestic violence to provide training and staff to be housed on-site in Child Welfare Services Branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  973

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

RE:   H.B. No. 1382

      H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1382, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Department of Human Services to contract with a non-profit specializing in domestic violence to provide training and staff to be housed on-site in Child Welfare Services Branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform; Hawai‘i Youth Services Network; and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Mālama ‘Ohana Working Group.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1382, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  264

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

RE:   H.B. No. 1382

      H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1382 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Department of Human Services to contract with a non-profit specializing in domestic violence to provide training and staff to be housed on-site in Child Welfare Services Branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Mālama ‘Ohana Working Group; Hawai‘i Youth Services Network; and three individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the Malama Ohana Working Group, established by Act 86, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, identified the need to strengthen the Child Welfare Services Branch's ability to manage cases involving domestic violence.  In 2024, the Child Welfare Services Branch received five hundred one reports of children experiencing domestic violence, with one hundred eight confirmed victims.  To improve response efforts, this measure provides resources to enhance the Child Welfare Services Branch's ability to assess risk, support families, and ensure effective intervention.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1382, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1382, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Homelessness,