481-E - William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund; awarding of grants. - New York Statutes

§ 481-e. William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund; awarding of grants. 1. The commissioner is hereby authorized to issue grants from funds credited to the William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund as provided in section four hundred eighty-one-f of this article to public agencies or not-for-profit corporations for the purpose of establishing or extending any or all of the following: (a) primary prevention programs; (b) secondary prevention programs; (c) programs which provide services to victims of family violence, such as establishing temporary shelters and other emergency services; programs which provide or facilitate counseling, or other appropriate follow-up services to victims and their family or household members; and any other program deemed helpful in the treatment of victims of family violence. 2. (a) Funds shall be awarded in the following manner: forty percent for local child abuse prevention or family resource and support programs, forty percent for local domestic violence prevention or service programs and twenty percent for regional or statewide family violence prevention programs; provided, however, that any unexpended portion of such twenty percent as allocated shall be made available for local family violence prevention programs and provided further, however, that in determining the eligibility of any regional or statewide family violence prevention program or of any local family violence prevention program for any part of such unexpended portion, the commissioner shall give first consideration to those programs which combine both child abuse prevention and domestic violence prevention. (b) For a program which combines child abuse prevention and domestic violence prevention, the commissioner shall predetermine, to the extent feasible, the percentage of concentration for each within such program and shall apportion the total amount awarded between such forty percent allocation in the same proportion. 3. No moneys from the fund established pursuant to section four hundred eighty-one-f of this article shall be granted for services mandated under this chapter. Funds awarded to not-for-profit corporations or public agencies pursuant to the provisions of subdivision one of this section shall not be used to supplant other federal, state or local funds. 4. The commissioner, with the advice and recommendations of the William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund advisory board, shall issue requests for proposals and specify methods to evaluate the effectiveness of proposed programs. Such evaluation shall include but not be limited to the following: (a) appropriate accounting and fiscal control procedures which shall include the filing of an annual financial statement by each provider so as to ensure the proper disbursement and accounting for funds received by public agencies and not-for-profit corporations for services; and (b) appropriate written records regarding the population served and type and extent of services rendered by the provider; and (c) confidentiality standards in conformance with appropriate federal and state standards so as to ensure the confidentiality of records of persons receiving services; and (d) nature and quality of services provided and impacts upon the populations and communities served. 5. The commissioner shall solicit and shall select proposals for the provision of services funded pursuant to this act. Public agencies and not-for-profit corporations shall be eligible for purposes of application for grants provided for herein and subject to any rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to subdivision four of this section.6. The commissioner, with the advice of the William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund advisory board, shall publicize the availability of funds to be used for purposes of this section. The commissioner shall request, on prescribed forms, information determined to be necessary and relevant for the evaluation of each application. The commissioner may solicit comments on the applications from concerned individuals and agencies. Applications for local grants shall be submitted to the local commissioner of social services and to the local youth bureau in the locality in which the program will operate and applicants for local grants shall solicit comments on the application from such local commissioner of social services and such local youth bureau prior to submitting such application to the commissioner. Applicants shall inform the local commissioner of social services and the local youth bureau that their comments upon the application may be submitted either to the applicant or to the commissioner or to both. The commissioner shall give full consideration to any such comments received within twenty-one days after the application deadline and shall review the applications in relation to relevant local plans before approving or disapproving such applications. The commissioner shall inform the local commissioner of social services and the local youth bureau of the final disposition of the applications. No grant award shall be for a period in excess of twelve months unless renewed by the commissioner, with the advice of the advisory board. The initial grant and the first year renewal, if any, shall not exceed one hundred percent of the cost of providing the service. The third year grant, if any, shall not exceed seventy-five percent of the initial grant. The fourth year grant and any grant thereafter, if any, shall not exceed fifty percent of the initial grant. No program shall receive funding after the fourth year unless the commissioner, annually, finds that the program effectively prevents family violence or provides a necessary service to victims of family violence. 7. Pursuant to subdivision one of this section, the commissioner shall ensure that grants are awarded evenly across the state with consideration given to geographic areas with the greatest need and that priority is given to programs: (a) which are innovative; or (b) of demonstrated effectiveness; and/or (c) illustrates the capacity to coordinate with established community programs; and/or (d) which can demonstrate a potential for future financial self-sufficiency. 8. The commissioner with the advice and recommendations of the William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund advisory board shall submit a report prior to the fifteenth day of December beginning in nineteen hundred eighty-five and annually thereafter to the governor and the legislature regarding the implementation and evaluation of the effectiveness of prevention and treatment services related to family violence. Prior to submitting such reports to the governor and the legislature, the commissioner shall permit the William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund advisory board to review and comment upon such reports. Such report shall include: (a) the number of persons estimated to have been assisted in programs covered by this section; (b) the number, recipients and amounts of grants to public agencies and not-for-profit corporations; (c) the amount of public and private funds used for approved programs by service type; (d) the amount of funds used for the administration of such services;(e) a description of the nature and quality of services provided and the impact upon the populations and communities served and their potential for being replicated elsewhere; and (f) all such other matters as may be necessary to inform the governor and the legislature regarding the implementation and evaluation of the effectiveness of programs covered by this section and the success of such programs in accomplishing the intent of the legislature.