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LIKOA'LINtiCE 4 ~^~y ~ LILLIAN B. KOLLER, ESO. GOVERNOR- ~ sas ~ i DIRECTOR s ,~qlu~ ~ HENRY OLIVA i. - { OEPUTV DIRECTOR ~~n, en •P9W~~f STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES P. 0. Box 339 Honolulu, Hawaii 96809-0339 February 12, 2007 Chris Yuen, Director Planning Department 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3, Hilo, HI 96720 Dear Chris: I am writing in response to your request for verification of information on the types of facilities the Department of Human Services (DHS) licenses, so they may be included in proposed legislation that will permit up to eight unrelated persons plus staff in group living facilities. The only type of facility that we really need to be included is our DHS group homes for youth, "child caring institutions" (HAR 17-894). These facilities are governed by regulaz oversight based on current best social work practices and 19 pages of rules regulating everything from the physical structural requirements of the building to staff levels, required credentials and training and all other aspects of operating such a facility. These homes serve eight or more children who have been "removed from the home in the best interests of the child" by Family Court, but eight is generally the maximum we aze willing to house in an individual facility, because larger numbers are likely to degrade the effectiveness of the program. Most of these youth are victims, sometimes requiring only emergency shelter, but frequently in need of longer term social intervention in a group home setting. Many have been moved from foster home to foster home. Some have been involved in the juvenile justice system primarily as status offenders (e.g. truancy, run-away), but violent or serious offenders of any kind aze not eligible for placement in our group homes. To address concerns about any of these facilities, you can contact Amy Tsazk, Administrator of the Child Welfare Services Branch, at 586-5667, or me in the DHS Director's Office at 721-6225. In the event that they suspect a case of child abuse or neglect, however, they should contact the 832-5300 Child Abuse Hotline, Our largest population of homes consists of the numerous "foster boazding homes," which will not be affected, because we limit them to a maximum of five children (HAR 17- 893). DHS also licenses, but DOH administers "therapeutic" foster boarding homes for AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AGENCY