§ 42-72-29.1 - Annual increases for children's residential programs. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 42-72-29.1

   § 42-72-29.1  Annual increases forchildren's residential programs. – (a) There is a five percent (5%) annual funding increase to provide qualityresidential programming and treatment for children in out-of-home care to alldepartment of children, youth, and families contracted residential providerswhich will be effective for fiscal years 2001 and 2002. These annualizedincreases shall be utilized for direct care staff for the purpose of achievingskill development and improving staff retention rates through measuresincluding pay increases.

   (b) These annualized increases shall not prohibit contractedresidential providers from seeking, from the department, increases for othercosts as may be required, either individually or collectively, in the futuredue to clinical, environmental, economic or other factors.

   (c) These annualized increases do not apply to nonresidentialprograms nor to those programs that do not contract with the state. Thedepartment shall report to the general assembly and the chairpersons of thehouse and senate finance committees not later than April 30, 2001, and April30, 2002, as to the methods whereby the increased funding was allocated toresidential service providers and the extent to which the funding hascontributed to positive outcomes for children. In the 2002 report, thedepartment shall have in place and shall describe a performance measure systemwhich shall include incentives to residential programs for positive outcomes.