207 - Foster grandparents program for vulnerable infants and children.

§   207.  Foster  grandparents  program  for  vulnerable  infants  and  children.  1. Definitions. For purposes of this  section  the  following  terms shall have the following meanings:    (a) "Qualified area agencies on aging" shall mean those agencies which  operate  a foster grandparent program for the care of vulnerable infants  and children and for the assistance of high risk mothers.    (b) "Foster grandparents program"  shall  mean  those  activities  for  which  grants may be provided pursuant to subdivision six of section two  hundred three of this title, and shall include, but not be  limited  to,  (1)  visiting  participating  hospitals or other interim care facilities  for a specified number of hours and providing care, love and stimulation  to one or more vulnerable infants and children; and  (2)  visiting  high  risk  mothers in their homes for a specified number of hours in order to  assist such mothers in developing parenting skills and  in  providing  a  safe and suitable home for their children.    (c)  "Vulnerable  infants and children" shall mean infants or children  who reside in hospitals or other  interim  care  facilities  because  no  suitable foster home or other appropriate placement is available.    (d)  "High  risk  mothers"  shall mean single young women for whom the  teaching of parenting skills  is  necessary  either  to  prevent  family  breakdown or to enable them to assume responsibility for their own child  or children who are in or awaiting foster care.    2.  The  director, in consultation with the commissioner of the office  of children and family services,  is  hereby  authorized  and  directed,  within  appropriations  which are available therefor, to award grants to  qualified area agencies on aging to operate foster grandparent  programs  for  the  care of vulnerable infants and children and for the assistance  of high risk mothers.    3. The duties of the director shall include, but not be limited to:    (a) the selection of qualified  area  agencies  on  aging  to  receive  grants  for the operation of foster grandparent programs for the care of  vulnerable infants and children and for  the  assistance  of  high  risk  mothers, which programs have been approved pursuant to this subdivision.  Applications  for  such grants shall demonstrate to the extent possible:  the need within the jurisdiction of the qualified area agency to provide  services to infants  and  children  left  in  hospitals  beyond  medical  necessity  and  the  need  to  provide  services to infants and children  placed in interim care facilities, the  experience  of  such  agency  in  providing  such services to this or related populations, the capacity of  such agency in  providing  such  services  to  effectively  operate  and  administer  such  program, the capacity of such agency to coordinate its  services with hospitals which provide social work  counseling  and  home  visit assessments by social work staff to high risk mothers; and    (b)  the  reviewing  of  foster  grandparent  programs for the care of  vulnerable infants and children and for  the  assistance  of  high  risk  mothers  conducted  by qualified area agencies on aging and the approval  of  such  programs  for  funding  pursuant  to  paragraph  (a)  of  this  subdivision.    4. The director may promulgate such rules and regulations as he or she  deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.