RHB/2/20
Sponsored by Madeleine Nocton, Calley Holbert of West High School
This legislation was filed in the Childrens Services category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Terms in this act will be designed as follows: |
| 4 | Instability in Foster Care- refers to the frequent placement changes, disruptions, or lack of |
| 5 | permanency experienced by children within the foster care system. |
| 6 | Maltreatment- includes any form of abuse, neglect, or exploitation experienced by children, as |
| 7 | outlined by Tennessee state law. |
| 8 | Trauma- refers to the psychological and emotional distress resulting from adverse experiences, |
| 9 | including but not limited to abuse, neglect, or other traumatic events. |
| 10 | Therapeutic Services- pertains to specialized interventions and support aimed at addressing the |
| 11 | emotional, psychological, and developmental needs of children in foster care. |
| 12 | Comprehensive Sex Education- trauma-informed sex education method based on a curriculum that |
| 13 | aims to give students the holistic knowledge, attitudes, skills, and values to make healthy and |
| 14 | informed choices in their sexual lives. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Section 2: Recognizing that Tennessee has one of the highest rates of instability in foster care, |
| 17 | more than double the national average. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Section 3: In consideration of the Department of Children Services’ Foster Care Services, |
| 20 | particularly the Therapeutic Services section, which provides support to children in homes lacking |
| 21 | emotional nurturing. Current law mandates that children are only provided therapeutic services if |
| 22 | they are in a home that doesn’t give them emotional support or if the child meets specific criteria. |
| 23 | Given that current Tennessee law does not explicitly mandate comprehensive sex education in |
| 24 | schools and favors an abstinence-only program. Taking into account that young women placed in |
| 25 | foster care are twice as likely to get pregnant by age 19 than young women who are not in foster |
| 26 | care, the lack of sex education is often cited as a root cause of teen pregnancies. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Section 4: This bill mandates the provision of specific therapy services by trained professionals for |
| 29 | children entering foster care due to trauma. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Section 5: Additionally, it requires the development of a sensitive and trauma-informed sexual |
| 32 | education curriculum placed directly into foster care systems for children ages K-12. |
| 33 | |
| 34 | Section 6: The Tennessee Department of Education and the Department of Children Services shall |
| 35 | jointly oversee this operation. A budgetary allocation of $20 million will be reallocated from Crisis |
| 36 | Pregnancy Centers to support the implementation of comprehensive sex education programs and |
| 37 | therapeutic services for children in foster care statewide. The $20 million budget shall be divided |
| 38 | |
| 39 | $14 million for the development and implementation of comprehensive sex education programs |
| 40 | geared specifically towards foster care children. Including curriculum development, teacher |
| 41 | training, educational materials, and other necessary expenses. Sex Education will be taught at |
| 42 | DCS Centers and Group Homes monthly. $6 million for the provision of therapeutic services by |
| 43 | trained professionals for children entering foster care due to trauma, including counseling, mental |
| 44 | health support, and other related services. |
| 45 | |
| 46 | Section 7: The provisions of this bill shall take effect on July 1st, 2024, if enacted. |
| 47 |