The bill amends Section 16-64-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-64, which pertains to the "Residence of Children for School Purposes." The amendment includes new provisions for the payment and reimbursement for educational costs of children placed in foster care, group homes, or other residential facilities by a Rhode Island state agency. The bill specifies that children in foster care or placed by the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) in a group home or residential facility without educational services are entitled to free public education in the community where they are placed. It outlines the process for determining the number of "beds" in such facilities and the associated state aid to education, which includes specific amounts per bed and adjustments for increases in the number of beds.

Significant changes include an insertion that, effective June 30, 2024, the East Providence public schools and the city of East Providence will no longer be responsible for providing educational services or financial resources to students in the CRAFT program or other Bradley Hospital programs. Instead, the responsibility will shift to the school district of origin, defined as the district where the student was last registered before admission to a Bradley program. The bill also states that the East Providence school district will not receive reimbursement for these students as previously provided. The act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
8179: 16-64-1.1