Support the NH Foster Care Children's Bill of Rights

As a foster parent in New Hampshire for over 4 years, I have seen DCYF work against family reunification and against adoption possibilities for children with no homes. DCYF places children in foster homes and tells foster parents that the children are likely going to be adopted when they first arrive in the foster home. Foster parents and DCYF must be able to work together to put reunification with family as the first goal in every case. The judge is the only person who decides if a child should not be returned to their family. Giving foster parents more rights will insure that we can work with DCYF to make sure the children are safer and can return home sooner, when possible. There must be a check and balance system for our broken DCYF system, and foster parents know the children the best. We are trained to put reunification with families first, even when DCYF doesn't. Support this bill to make sure the foster parents who love these children and work hard on family reunification are better protected and have more rights to make sure these kids get back home or into a permanent placement as soon as possible.

Thank you for caring about these children that need representation.

Looking forward to positive changes to support the children who need it most.

8 years ago Featured

An important step in addressing the significant lack of resources for addressing problems in the child welfare system.

Change needs to happen

Please support foster parents and the children they care for.

*** You do NOT need to make a donation to sign this petition. Just exit out of the page by back tracking or exiting completely.***

8 years ago Featured

Fostering Change: Alliance for NH Foster Parents supports and endorses this bill.

Read the bill: SB 385 - AS INTRODUCED 18-2939 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen AN ACT establishing a foster care children's bill of rights. Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened: 1 Statement of Purpose. I. The rights enumerated in this act are intended to guide department of health and human services staff, foster parents, and providers in the delivery of care and services to youth in out-ofhome placement with a commitment to permanency, safety and well-being. These rights provide youth with a “voice” to be taken into consideration when decisions are made by the courts, department staff, and providers. They are designed to ensure opportunities for age appropriate involvement in “normal” life experiences. II. The following assumptions, beliefs, and goals guide this foster children's bill of rights: (a) Everyone deserves to be safe. (b) All children and youth need and deserve permanency and a life of wellbeing. (c) Everyone, regardless of age, deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect. (d) All children, youth, and families have strengths. (e) All children and youth belong with a family or other sources of caring and support. 2 New Subdivision; Foster Care Children's Bill of Rights. Amend RSA 170-G by inserting after section 19 the following new subdivision: Foster Care Children's Bill of Rights 170-G:20 Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard. The rights of children in foster care exist within the context of the reasonable and prudent parent standard defined in 42 U.S.C. section 675(10). This means that foster parents, caretakers, and department staff must make careful and sensible decisions that maintain the health, safety, and best interests of a child while at the same time encouraging the emotional and developmental growth of the child. The rights established in this section are to be applied in accordance with the reasonable and prudent parent sta