An Act to Improve Family Team Meetings in Child Welfare Cases to Ensure Better Outcomes for Children by Providing Adequate Funding
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0857
Committee Amendment CA_A_S632 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "^ " to S.P. 354, L.D. 857, "An Act to Improve
Family Team Meetings in Child Welfare Cases to Ensure Better Outcomes for Children by
Providing Adequate Funding"
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
'Resolve, to Establish a Process to Evaluate the Family Team IVIeeting IVIodel'
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting the following:
'See. 1. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and
Family Services to evaluate family team meeting model. Resolved: That the
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services shall
contract with an independent entity to develop a system for the evaluation of the family
team meeting model that is used as part of the department's child and family services policy
including family team meeting policy and facilitated family team meeting policy. The
contracted entity shall submit a report, no later than January 2, 2026, to the Department of
Health and Human Services and the Maine Child Welfare Advisory Panel established in
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 4010-D. The contracted entity shall develop
a system of evaluation that includes the following:
1. A process for ongoing data collection and analysis that includes case review and
family team meeting participant input;
2. The use of data to evaluate the extent that current family team meeting practices
reflect the requirements in the child and family services policy; and
3. A process for implementing the data collection and use in subsections 1 and 2 and a
plan for continuous quality improvement of the family team meeting model.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. Resolved: That the following
appropriations and allocations are made.
3 HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
IV-E Foster Care/Adoption Assistance 0137
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
ROS
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " ^L" to S.P. 354, L.D. 857 ( 5> •(
Initiative: Provides one-time funding over 2 years to contract with an independent entity to
develop a system for the evaluation of the family team meeting model in the department's
child and family services policy. The contracted entity must submit a report, no later than
January 2, 2026, to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Child
Welfare Advisory Panel.
GENERAL FUND 2023-24 2024-25
AHOther $0 $171,190
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 $171,190
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment replaces the bill, which is a concept draft, with a resolve. It requires
the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services to
contract with an independent entity to develop a system for the evaluation of the family
team meeting model in the department's child and family services policy. The contracted
entity must submit a report, no later than January 2, 2026, to the Department of Health and
Human Services and the Maine Child Welfare Advisoiy Panel.
FISCAL NOTE REQUmED
(See attached)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Approved: 03/26/24 !^W^
LD 857 LR 566(02)
An Act to Improve Family Team Meetings in Child Welfare Cases to Ensure Better Outcomes for
Children by Providing Adequate Funding
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "^5-^^
Committee: Health and Human Services
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Projections Projections
FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund $0 $171,190 $171,190 $0
Appropriations/Allocations
General Fund $0 $171,190 $171,190 $0
Fiscal Detail and Notes
The bill includes a one-time General Fund appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services of
$171,190 in fiscal year 2024-25 to contract with an independent entity to develop a system for the evaluation of the
family team meeting model in the department's Child and Family Services Policy. The contracted entity must submit a
report, no later than January 2, 2026, to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Child Welfare
Advisoiy Panel. The total funding required for the contract is $342,380, but the funding is split over the two years of
the contracted work.
LR0566(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1