N.Y. Social Services Law § 430: Day services; when social services official may furnish

§ 430. Day services; when social services official may furnish. 1.

In order to preserve and stabilize family life, to prevent the need for

placement of children outside their homes, and to enable children in

foster care to return to their families as expeditiously as possible, a

social services official is authorized to provide day services at public

expense to children and their families residing in his territory,

pursuant to the provisions of this title.

2. Day services may be provided in cases where the social services

official has determined that such services would promote or accomplish

one or more of the following objectives:

(a) to avert a risk of serious impairment or disruption of a family

unit which would result in the placement of a child outside his own

home;

(b) to enable a child who has been placed in a child care institution

or other group care facility to be placed in a foster care setting more

closely oriented to community or family life;

(c) to enable a child who has been placed in foster care to return to

his family at an earlier time than would otherwise be possible.

3. If the child's family is able to pay part or all of the costs of

day services, such family shall be required to pay such fees therefor as

may be reasonable in the light of such ability pursuant to regulations

of the department.

4. Day services may be provided by a social services official either

directly or through purchase. Purchase of such services may be made

only from a private non-profit corporation or association, except when

the commissioner shall have approved the purchase of such services from

a private proprietary facility by a social services official who has

demonstrated a lack of conveniently accessible non-profit facilities

that are adequate to provide the required services.

5. As used in this title, "day services" shall mean care and

treatment for part of the day of one or more children under eighteen

years of age and their families in a program which provides to such

children and families in accordance with their needs various services

such as psychiatric, psychological, social casework, educational,

vocational, health, transportation and such other services as may be

appropriate. Such services shall be provided in accordance with program

standards promulgated by the department. Day services may be continued

after the eighteenth birthday of a child in the care of an authorized

agency and until he becomes twenty-one years of age. Day services shall

not be provided to any children and their families for periods in excess

of one year, without the approval of the department.