HB3821 Summary: Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare Task Force Act

• Creates the Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare Task Force within the Department of Children and Family Services to examine racial disparities in the child welfare system and explore policies to reduce disproportionality and prevent family separation.

• Task Force composition includes 22+ members including legislators, agency directors, parents with lived experience in the system, youth formerly in child welfare, academics, attorneys, and advocates, with appointments made within 60 days and initial meetings within 90 days of the Act's effective date.

• Task Force shall examine mandatory reporting's impact on racial disparities, underlying factors for family involvement (substance use, homelessness, healthcare access), Family First Prevention Services Act implementation, and implicit bias training needs for child welfare staff.

• Task Force must submit policy recommendations to the General Assembly and Governor within one year of its first meeting, prioritizing family preservation and reunification for Black families and eliminating racial disproportionality in the child welfare system.

• Task Force dissolves and the Act is repealed on January 1, 2024.