This bill establishes two new positions within the state of Iowa: an ombudsman assistant specifically for child foster care and a state foster care advocate. The ombudsman assistant will be appointed by the state ombudsman to investigate complaints related to child foster care, as indicated by the new language added to Section 2C.6. Additionally, the bill mandates that all public materials regarding child foster care include information about both the ombudsman assistant and the foster care advocate, including their contact details.

The state foster care advocate will be designated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and will operate within the compliance division, separate from the family well-being and protection division. The advocate's responsibilities include improving administrative functions related to child foster care, engaging in policy discussions, making recommendations, and receiving complaints. The bill also requires HHS to provide new foster care licensees with the advocate's contact information and a description of their services. Furthermore, HHS is tasked with submitting proposed legislation by December 1, 2025, to formally define the advocate's role and duties, after soliciting public input on the matter.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C.6