Legislation and Regulations
OCFS Departmental Bills for the 2011 Legislative Session
Departmental #38 – Continuation of Family Assessment Response
2007 legislation gave the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) temporary authority to pilot a family assessment response (FAR) program with interested social services districts outside of New York City. FAR uses a different approach to certain reports of child abuse and maltreatment. Instead of the traditional investigative approach that focuses on whether the allegations are supported by some credible evidence, social services districts participating in the FAR program assess the family’s needs and strengths to see if the report can be resolved by providing appropriate services. The FAR approach is not available for reports involving serious allegations of child abuse and maltreatment or where there are immediate safety concerns or a high risk of serious harm to the child.
The enacting legislation required OCFS to evaluate and report on the FAR pilot, including making a recommendation on continuation of the program. The report showed that families and caseworkers participating in the pilot felt that the FAR approach was helpful to stabilize families and reduced the need to file a Family Court petition. A copy of the FAR report may be found here.
Departmental #38 makes the FAR pilot a permanent program and makes New York City eligible to participate. Without this legislation, the authority for OCFS to continue the FAR program expires on June 1, 2011.
Any questions or comments concerning the items listed in this agenda should be referred to:
Cassandra Kelleher-Donnaruma
52 Washington Street, Room 139 N
Rensselaer, NY 12144
518 473 9551
Cassandra.Kelleher@OCFS.state.ny.us
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