CCC testified Preventive Services at the New York State Assembly Children and Families and Oversight, Analysis and Investigations Committees r hearing on December 1, 2014.

CCC’s testified about the importance of strengthening and expanding preventive services so that localities can keep children safe and enable children to remain at home with their families and not in more costly foster care.

CCC made recommendations to strengthen the State’s Preventive Service System

• Restore the State’s commitment to keeping children safe by restoring the state share for preventive (and protective) services to the statutory level of 65% and require the counties to use the additional funds to strengthen or expand services.
• Invest in the primary preventive services that prevent child abuse and neglect before it occurs.
• Strengthen the housing subsidy program, paid for with preventive service funding, by increasing the subsidy to $600, increasing the 3-year limit, and increasing the age limit for youth aging out of foster care.  The state should also consider annually adjusting the subsidy for inflation.
• Increase state general fund support for child care.