Int 1199-2016

Be it enacted by the Council as follows: Section 1. Chapter 9 of title 21 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-910 to read as follows: � 21-910 Foster care experience surveys. a. Commencing one year after the effective date of the local law that added this section, ACS shall provide to all youth in foster care ages 13 and older an annual survey regarding such youth's experiences with each foster care placement where the youth resided that year. For youth placed with foster parents, such surveys shall be administered in a location other than the foster parent's home, or administered online or through a mobile application. ACS shall explain the purpose of such survey to youth and shall not attribute survey responses to youth without their consent. In addition to questions, such survey shall provide space for such youth to provide ACS with any additional information they wish to share. b. Such survey shall include but not be limited to questions addressing the following topic areas: access to food and clothing; religious practices; relationships with foster families, biological families and friends; personal allowances; education and extracurricular activities; and internet and phone access. c. No later than six months following the first administration of the survey, and annually thereafter, ACS shall submit to the speaker of the council and post on its website aggregated data from the surveys required pursuant to this section and any steps ACS had taken in response to the information provided in such surveys. d. Not later than 120 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, ACS shall submit to the speaker of the council a report on its plan for the implementation of the survey required pursuant to this section. e. No information that is otherwise required to be reported pursuant to this section shall be reported in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state or local law relating to the privacy of information respecting youth in foster care or that would interfere with law enforcement investigations or otherwise conflict with the interests of law enforcement. If any category requested contains between 1 and 5 youth in foster care, or allows another category to be narrowed to between 1 and 5 youth in foster care, the number shall be replaced with a symbol. � 2. This local law takes effect immediately. AV LS #6674/6755 10/19/16, 8:53pm 2 2