Social and Economic Policy
Children's Issues

Promote policies and funding to ensure a coordinated continuum of care for children at risk, reducing children removed from home or kinship networks by providing families with the supports they need and expand extended foster care.




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Overview of the 2025 Legislative Session

During the 2024 Legislative Session, two Children’s bills the League supported passed. These included one to eliminate child marriage. This bill provided that a marriage entered into in which either person has not attained the age of 18 years is voice. It further eliminated provisions authorizing a court to waive the age requirement on a showing of necessity. HB 1455 became effective June 6, 2024. The other bill (SB 5908), extended foster care for youth 18-21 and directed the Department of Children, Youth and Families to make changes to the Extended Foster Care Program to reduce barriers to participation.

A number of bills failed to pass in 2024 including allowing some minors to contract for housing and utilities, supporting students who are chronically absent, providing dependent youth with financial education and support, phasing out the use of restraint or isolation in schools, and adding clergy to the list of mandated reporters when there is reasonable cause to believe a child has suffered abuse or neglect.

While budget constraints will be a major theme in the 2025 Legislative Session, there are indications that members of the legislature are concerned about children of color in the child welfare system and youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.


Updates
At times during the session, an Issue Chair may write a "Weekly Update" to provide more details on what happened during the week. When they are available, they can be found below:


2025 Children's Issues Legislation
Please refer to the weekly updates above for current status of the bills below.

Priority Bills

Bills in green are supported. Bills in red are opposed by the League. Bills in black the League is watching.

HB 1177 Relating to the child welfare housing assistance program. Increases the number of households served through the child welfare housing assistance program by at least 200 families and allows DCYF to provide housing assistance after the department is no longer providing child welfare or child protective services to the family.

HB 1429 Creating a housing assistance program for youth enrolled in extended foster care. Companion to SB 5082. The program would provide rental assistance and associated housing fees to prevent and alleviate homelessness among youth enrolled in extended foster care.

SB 5082 Creating a housing assistance program for youth enrolled in extended foster care. The program would provide rental assistance and associated housing fees to prevent and alleviate homelessness among youth enrolled in extended foster care.

SB 5169 Concerning testimony of children. Allows statements by children under 18 describing certain offenses to be admissible as evidence in some proceedings. Closed-circuit television may be used for child testimony that describes acts of trafficking, sexual exploitation of children, or violent offenses.

SB 5488 Strengthening the financial stability of persons in the care of the department of children, youth, and families. Provides that when DCYF is the representative payee of a person in the care of the department, funds shall be placed into an account on behalf of that person. Funds may only be used to meet unmet personal needs, and when conditions of placement no longer exist, upon showing of competency and authority, all funds will be delivered to the person or their legal custodian.

Other Bills
Bills in green are supported. Bills in red are opposed by the League. Bills in black the League is watching.

HB 1211 Relating the duty of clergy to report child abuse and neglect. Companion to SB 5375. Adds clergy to the list of mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. First reading in House Early Learning & Human Services, Jan 13.

SB 5375 Concerning the duty of clergy to report child abuse and neglect. Companion to HB 1211. Public Hearing in Senate Committee on Human Services, Jan 28 at 1:30 pm.


How To Be Involved

  • If you are interested in a particular bill, use the links above to go to the webpage for that bill. These pages include staff summaries and reports including who testified PRO versus CON on the bill. There is also information about how to access videos of hearings that have been held. 
  • Read and take action through the LWVWA Legislative Action Newsletter, distributed each Sunday during the legislative session.

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