Child Welfare

Added a requirement for the Department of Children and Families and community-based care lead agencies to meet quarterly with organizations focused on empowering children with lived experience to solicit input on system challenges.

Added a requirement for the department and agencies to publish meeting agendas, minutes, and biannual reports on their websites starting in 2027.

Added a new requirement for the Office of Insurance Regulation to review and analyze data on liability insurance availability, costs, and claims for community-based care agencies and provide a report to the Governor and Legislature by January 1, 2027.

Expanded the definition of 'personnel' for background screening to include owners, operators, employees, and volunteers working in summer day camps or 24-hour camps.

Clarified that family members or residents aged 12 to 18 must be screened for delinquency records but are not required to be fingerprinted.

Authorized the Office of Insurance Regulation to levy fines of up to $500 per day for the first three days and $1,000 per day thereafter against insurance companies that fail to respond to data requests.

Authorized the Department of Children and Families to levy similar fines against community-based care lead agencies and subcontractors that fail to respond to information requests.