336 Relating to: training for foster parents.

Date of enactment: May 13, 2010
2009 Assembly Bill 823 Date of publication*: May 26, 2010

* Section 991.11, Wisconsin Statutes 2007-08 : Effective date of acts. "Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor's partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication as designated" by the secretary of state [the date of publication may not be more than 10 working days after the date of enactment].

2009 WISCONSIN ACT 336

An Act to amend 48.67 (4) (a) (intro.), 2., 3., 5. and 6. and (c); and to repeal and recreate 48.67 (4) of the statutes; relating to: training for foster parents.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1 . 48.67 (4) of the statutes, as affected by 2009 Wisconsin Act 28 , sections 1062 and 1062b , is repealed and recreated to read:

48.67 (4) (a) That all foster parents and treatment foster parents successfully complete training in the care and support needs of children who are placed in foster care or treatment foster care that has been approved by the department. The training shall be completed on an ongoing basis, as determined by the department. The department shall promulgate rules prescribing the training that is required under this subsection and shall monitor compliance with this subsection according to those rules. The training shall include training in all of the following:

1. Parenting skills, including child development; infant care, if appropriate; the effects of trauma on children; communicating with children in an age-appropriate manner; and recognizing issues such as drug use or addiction or attachment disorder.

2. For foster parents or treatment foster parents caring for children 11 years of age or older, teaching and encouraging independent living skills, including budgeting, health and nutrition, and other skills to promote the child's long-term economic independence and well-being.

3. Issues that may confront foster parents or treatment foster parents, in general, and that may confront the foster parents or treatment foster parents of children with special needs.

4. Child abuse and neglect prevention.

5. The proper use of foster care or treatment foster care payments.

6. The availability of resources for foster parents or treatment foster parents in the local community.

7. Other topics, as determined by the department.

(b) The training under par. (a) shall be available to a kinship care relative, as defined in s. 48.40 (1m), upon request of the kinship care relative.

(c) For a foster parent or treatment foster parent receiving an initial license, the training under par. (a) shall be completed before the first child is placed with the foster parent or treatment foster parent.

Section 2 . 48.67 (4) (a) (intro.), 2., 3., 5. and 6. and (c) of the statutes, as affected by 2009 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), are amended to read:

48.67 (4) (a) (intro.) That all foster parents and treatment foster parents successfully complete training in the care and support needs of children who are placed in foster care or treatment foster care that has been approved by the department. The training shall be completed on an ongoing basis, as determined by the department. The department shall promulgate rules prescribing the training that is required under this subsection and shall monitor compliance with this subsection according to those rules. The training shall include training in all of the following:

2. For foster parents or treatment foster parents caring for children 11 years of age or older, teaching and encouraging independent living skills, including budgeting, health and nutrition, and other skills to promote the child's long-term economic independence and well-being.

3. Issues that may confront the foster parents or treatment foster parents , in general, and that may confront the foster parents or treatment foster parents of children with special needs.

5. The proper use of foster care or treatment foster care payments.

6. The availability of resources for foster parents or treatment foster parents in the local community.

(c) For a foster parent or treatment foster parent receiving an initial license, the training under par. (a) shall be completed before the first child is placed with the foster parent or treatment foster parent .

Section 3 . Initial applicability.

(1) The repeal and recreation of section 48.67 (4) (c) of the statutes first applies to a foster parent or treatment foster parent receiving an initial license on the effective date of this subsection.

Section 4 . Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

(1) The amendment of section 48.67 (4) (a) (intro.), 2., 3., 5., and 6. and (c) of the statutes takes effect on the date stated in the notice provided by the secretary of children and families and published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register under section 48.62 (9) of the statutes.