§ 4–115. Limitation in number of dependent children.

(a) The number of children who have been in care pursuant to § 4-114(a)(2) for a period of 2 years or more, should be:

(1) Not more than 1,283 children as of September 30, 1984;

(2) Not more than 965 children as of September 30, 1985;

(3) Not more than 1,113 children as of September 30, 1986;

(4) Not more than 920 children as of September 30, 1987;

(5) Not more than 62% of the total number of children in foster care as of September 30, 1992;

(6) Not more than 60% of the total number of children in foster care as of September 30, 1993; and

(7) Not more than 58% of the total number of children in foster care as of September 30, 1994.

(b) The following steps will be taken to achieve these goals:

(1) Increase the number of children referred for adoption services through purchase of service contracts;

(2) Conduct permanency planning for all children in foster care, including an annual administrative review for each child;

(3) Provide for decreased caseloads and intensive services with emphasis on prevention of placements or early reunification of families;

(4) Repealed; and

(5) Strengthen programs to assist teenage youth in preparing for independent living.

(c) During the fiscal years ending September 30, 1992, September 30, 1993, and September 30, 1994, the Director of the Department of Human Services (“Director”) shall report quarterly to the Council of the District of Columbia (“Council”) regarding:

(1) The total number of children in care, their ages, legal statuses, and goals;

(2) The number of children who entered care during the previous quarter (by month), their ages, legal statuses, and the primary reasons they entered care;

(3) The number of children who have been in care for 24 months or longer, the number of children who became part of this class during the previous quarter (by month), and the ages and legal statuses of these children; and

(4) The number of children who left care during the previous quarter (by month), the number of children in this class who had been in care for 24 months or longer, the ages and legal statuses of these children, and the reasons for their removal from care.

(d) On November 1 of each year, the Director shall submit to the Council a summary of the cases terminated during the previous fiscal year and any difficulties encountered in reaching the goal stated in subsection (a) of this section.

(May 17, 1983, D.C. Law 5-4, § 3, 30 DCR 1576; Oct. 8, 1983, D.C. Law 5-30, § 2, 30 DCR 3876; Sept. 26, 1984, D.C. Law 5-107, § 2, 31 DCR 3388; Apr. 11, 1986, D.C. Law 6-104, § 2, 33 DCR 1160; Oct. 1, 1992, D.C. Law 9-166, § 2, 39 DCR 5819.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 3-114.1.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary amendment of section, see § 2 of the Foster Care Goals Act of 1983 Emergency Amendment Act of 1991 (D.C. Act 9-130, January 9, 1992, 39 DCR 327).

Temporary Legislation

For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 2(a) of Foster Care Goals Act Temporary Amendment Act of 1992 (D.C. Law 9-84, March 20, 1992, law notification 39 DCR 2124).

Editor's Notes

Reports required by Director of Department of Human Services: Section 2 of D.C. Law 5-4 provided that the Director of the Department of Human Services shall report to the Council of the District of Columbia monthly regarding the number of foster care cases that have been terminated during the previous month and number of children entering care during the previous month, and that on October 1 of each year, the Director shall submit a summary report of the cases terminated during the prior fiscal year and any difficulties encountered in reaching the goal stated in § 3 of D.C. Law 5-4. Section 4(b) of D.C. Law 5-4 provided that the act shall expire on the 180th day after May 17, 1983.