New York State currently funds a variety of preventive programs geared towards educating parents, mitigating family tensions, and working to keep children out of foster care. Families receiving preventive services may have a wide range of needs, including counseling, drug treatment, and financial management or parenting skills. Where there is a risk of foster care placement, counties are mandated by State law to provide preventive services, either directly or through contract, to reduce the risk of placement. Even when there is not an imminent risk of foster care placement, families may require support to avoid crisis. Programs like Home Visiting and Nurse Family Partnership offer such early intervention services, and have been proven effective at achieving positive outcomes. Whatever the need, preventive services provide vital assistance to children and families around the State. In this time of economic downturn, it is critical that existing resources are maximized and innovative approaches are used so that families continue to have access to quality prevention programs. The purpose of this Assembly public hearing is to gather information on the impact of quality prevention, the effects of recent budget reductions and how localities are ensuring that at-risk families are continuing to receive essential services.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to 10 minutes. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committees will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Committee staff as early as possible. In the absence of a request, witnesses will be scheduled in the order in which reply forms are postmarked.

Ten (10) copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committees' interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the New York State Senate and Assembly have made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Senate and Assembly facilities and activities.

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on strengthening families through preventive services programs are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail it to: