* The Department is advertising for promulgation several new and amended rules. Please refer to the Interested Parties Memo from Director Patricia Martinez for further information. You may click this link to see the proposed DCYF rules. These rules are also accessible through the Secretary of State's Rules and Regulations Search Interface http://www.sec.state.ri.us/ProposedRules/.

* DCYF Policies Effective September 1, 2010. Please refer to the Interested Parties Memo from Director Patricia Martinez for further information. You may click this link to see the complete list of amended DCYF rules relating to the RI Training School Education Program. These rules are also accessible through the Secretary of State's Rules and Regulations Search Interface http://www.sec.state.ri.us/rules/.

* DCYF Policies Effective August 16, 2010. Please refer to the Interested Parties Memo from Director Patricia Martinez for further information. You may click this link to see the complete list of new and amended DCYF rules, some relating specifically to the RI Training School. These rules are also accessible through the Secretary of State's Rules and Regulations Search Interface http://www.sec.state.ri.us/ProposedRules/.

* DCYF Residential Child Care Regulations Effective June 7, 2010. Please refer to the Interested Parties Memo from Director Patricia Martinez for further information. You may click this link to see the rule and a related form, DCYF #203, PHYSICAL, MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION REPORT. These rules are also accessible through the Secretary of State's Rules and Regulations Search Interface http://www.rules.state.ri.us/rules/.

* RI Training School Policies Effective May 17, 2010.   Please refer to the Interested Parties Memo from Director Patricia Martinez for further information. You may click this link to see the complete list of new and amended DCYF rules. These rules are also accessible through the Secretary of State's Rules and Regulations Search Interface http://www.rules.state.ri.us/rules/.

* Family and Children's Trust Fund: Community-based Child Abuse Prevention - Addendum-2 has been issued for this Request for Proposals. Click this link to download the Excel spreadsheet referenced in Appendix C.

* ATTENTION YOUTH IN DCYF PLANNING TO ATTEND COLLEGE OR ALREADY ATTENDING COLLEGE: DCYF is excited to announce the availability of the DCYF Post Secondary Education Tuition Assistance Program (PETAP) for the 2010-11 academic year (July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011).   The application deadline is June 1, 2010. Applications received after that can only be considered if we have funds remaining after all initial awards are made.   The application process has changed significantly from past years.   In partnership with the RI Higher Education Assistance Authority (RIHEAA), DCYF has developed an online application which eliminates the need for youth to mail, email or fax any paperwork to DCYF and let's DCYF communicate directly with financial aid professionals at a youth's school! Before you go to the application site, please make sure you read our   "Frequently Asked Questions".   When you click on the link to the application, it will take you to RIHEAA's website where you will need to create an account with RIHEAA (unless you happen to have one created already). After you create your account, you will then be able to access the DCYF application. Click on the link to start your application process!   Remember, youth currently in college or some other post high school educational program and who are receiving higher education grant funds from DCYF, these funds are not automatically renewed each year. Each youth must reapply each year to be considered for funding.

* The Department of Children, Youth and Families in collaboration with the Family and Children's Trust Fund is issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for prevention-focused community-based programs. Funding for these programs is provided through title II of the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention. A pre-meeting for interested providers will be held on Friday, March 19 from 9am to 11am at the Rhode Island College School of Social Work, Building 9 in Room A01.  Please click this link to obtain a copy of the Trust Fund/CBCAP RFP.   Click here to view the addendum.

* The Department has completed the development of the Rhode Island Title IV-B Child and Family Service 5 year State Plan -- 2010 - 2014. Please click the link to view the plan.

* The Department continues its efforts to fully develop and implement an integrated family and community system of care. The first phase of the system of care development was implemented to support family preservation and well-being by establishing the Family Care Community Partnerships (FCCP's) in January of 2009. In this concept paper, the Department outlines plans to implement Phase Two of the system of care for children and families under the care and supervision of DCYF.

Phase Two will transform the DCYF child welfare, juvenile corrections and children's behavioral health system to one that primarily relies on an expanded continuum of home and community-based services and supports, to better meet the needs of children and their families in the least restrictive setting and ensure community safety.

* Family Care Community Partnership (FCCP) Practice Standards - These Standards provide guidance to assist the FCCP's in implementing an integrated system of care that is youth guided, family driven, culturally and linguistically competent and community based for families with children and youth who are at risk for abuse and neglect, who have serious emotional disturbance (SED) and/or who are returning to the community after completing a sentence to the Rhode Island Training School (RITS), including youth leaving the RITS and youth leaving temporary community placement (TCP). You can view the Director's informational letter, which informs the community that the rule is effective June 1, 2009 and provides responses to public comments.

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