§ 21-910 Foster care experience surveys.
AC § 21-910
a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the term “LGBTQIA+” means lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, gender non-conforming, or non-binary. b. ACS shall provide to all youth in foster care ages 13 and older an annual survey regarding such youth’s experiences with each foster care placement where the youth resided and with any ACS or foster care agency provider employees the youth came into contact with that year. For youth placed with foster parents, such surveys shall be administered in a location other than the foster parent’s home, or administered online or through a mobile application that enables youth to complete the survey outside of their foster home. ACS shall explain the purpose of such survey to youth and shall not attribute survey responses to youth without their consent. In addition to questions, such survey shall provide space for such youth to provide ACS with any additional information or feedback they wish to share. c. Such survey shall include, but not be limited to, questions addressing the following topic areas: access to food and clothing; religious practices; relationships with foster families, biological families, and friends; personal allowances; education and extracurricular activities; internet and phone access; experiences related to gender expression, gender identity, sex characteristics, and sexual orientation; identification as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community; racial identity; and placement type, including, but not limited to, kinship, nonkinship, and residential care. d. By August 1, 2026, and biennially thereafter, ACS shall submit to the speaker of the council and post on its website a report of aggregated data from the surveys required pursuant to this section and any steps ACS had taken in response to the information provided in such surveys. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information regarding the youth in foster care who complete the survey: 1. The number of survey respondents, disaggregated by placement type; 2. The number of survey respondents who identify as LGBTQIA+, disaggregated by LGBTQIA+ identity; 3. The racial identity of survey respondents, disaggregated by placement type; 4. Disaggregation of the racial identity and LGBTQIA+ identity of the youth; and 5. Disaggregation of the racial identity, LGBTQIA+ identity, and placement type of the youth. e. No information that is otherwise required to be reported pursuant to this section shall be reported in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state, or local law relating to the privacy of information respecting youth in foster care or that would interfere with law enforcement investigations or otherwise conflict with the interests of law enforcement. If any category requested contains between 1 and 5 youth in foster care, or allows another category to be narrowed to between 1 and 5 youth in foster care, the number shall be replaced with a symbol. (L.L. 2016/146, 11/16/2016, eff. 11/16/2016; Am. L.L. 2025/037, 4/11/2025, eff. 7/10/2025; Am. L.L. 2025/046, 4/11/2025, eff. 7/10/2025)
