The bill amends various sections of the Idaho Code concerning foster care, with a particular emphasis on extended foster care provisions, definitions, and relative foster care. It revises Section 16-1622 to improve the review and permanency hearing processes, prioritizing the safety and well-being of children in foster care. Key amendments include requirements for documentation regarding children's educational stability, sibling placements, and psychotropic medication usage. Additionally, the bill mandates that courts inquire about the desired permanency outcomes of youth aged twelve and older and discuss transition plans for those aged fourteen and older.

A significant change in the bill is the extension of foster care eligibility from age twenty-one to twenty-three, allowing young adults who were in the custody of the department until their eighteenth birthday to receive support during their transition to adulthood, contingent upon meeting specific federal criteria. The bill also allows the Department of Health and Welfare to expedite the licensing process for relatives providing foster care and grants the authority to issue limited variances or waivers of licensing standards when the child's health and safety are not at risk. Furthermore, it nullifies certain existing rules related to Child and Family Services effective July 1, 2025, and includes an emergency declaration for the act to take effect on the same date.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 16-1622, 39-1202, 39-1211A, 39-1213