§ 409-i. Short title; legislative findings; purpose.
1.This title\nshall be known and may be cited and referred to as the "teenage services\nact".\n 2. The legislature finds that the rising incidence of adolescent\npregnancy and teenage parenthood is the subject of a widespread and\ngrowing concern. As a result of early pregnancy, the attainment of\nneeded education and job skills is often curtailed. Coupled with the\nadded responsibilities accompanying parenthood, these young families are\noften locked into long term public dependency. Studies have confirmed\nthat up to sixty percent of the current aid to families with dependent\nchildren cases in New York state are headed by mothers who were\nteenagers when they gave birth to their first child. In fact, the\npredominant cause of welf
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§ 409-i. Short title; legislative findings; purpose. 1. This title\nshall be known and may be cited and referred to as the "teenage services\nact".\n 2. The legislature finds that the rising incidence of adolescent\npregnancy and teenage parenthood is the subject of a widespread and\ngrowing concern. As a result of early pregnancy, the attainment of\nneeded education and job skills is often curtailed. Coupled with the\nadded responsibilities accompanying parenthood, these young families are\noften locked into long term public dependency. Studies have confirmed\nthat up to sixty percent of the current aid to families with dependent\nchildren cases in New York state are headed by mothers who were\nteenagers when they gave birth to their first child. In fact, the\npredominant cause of welfare dependency in New York state may well be\ndue to the result of teenage pregnancy and adolescent motherhood. The\nobjective of this title is to increase the potential of these youths to\nbecome financially independent by helping the teenager to complete her\neducation, and receive sufficient manpower skills for participation in\nthe labor market.\n The department of social services is not only statutorily required to\nprovide financial support to these dependent teenagers and their\nchildren, but also has equal responsibility to provide personal\ncounselling and support services needed to strengthen family life and\nprovide opportunities for economic independence. In order to facilitate\naccessibility to the full range of needed services, case management\nresponsibilities should be assigned to appropriate local social services\nstaff or to authorized agencies outside of the department. Any\nreluctance or refusal on the part of the teenager to participate in a\nprogram of services shall not carry any threat of fiscal sanctions as\nregards public assistance benefits. In the event that a teenager refuses\nto participate, it shall be the responsibility of the local social\nservices district to make continued and repeated efforts to engage the\nteenager in a counselling relationship which has as its result a\nmutually agreed upon service plan which meets the objectives of this\ntitle.\n Therefore, this title provides for the establishment of a service case\nmanagement system in order to strengthen the service role of the\ndepartment of social services. Local social services districts shall be\nrequired to separate public assistance cases involving pregnant\nadolescents and teenage mothers under eighteen years of age, and assign\nongoing case management services for such caseloads to appropriate staff\nresponsible for service delivery. By defining such specialized\ncaseloads, personal counselling and provision of needed community-based\nsupport services will be facilitated. Such case management activities\nshall also include the follow-up and evaluation of services rendered.\n The enactment of the provisions of this title shall maximize the\neffectiveness, efficiency and accountability of support services\nprovided on behalf of pregnant adolescents and teenage parents under\neighteen years of age, thereby reducing the long-term dependency needs\nof this youthful population.\n