ATLANTA | Today, Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan praised the Governor’s signing of House Bill 912, which makes changes to Georgia’s foster care system and strengthens support for foster families by removing burdensome regulations on foster parents.

“HB 912 incorporates several provisions that will streamline our foster care system, and I am proud to see this piece of legislation become law,” said Lt. Governor Duncan. “By prioritizing foster care cases in Juvenile Court and allowing The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) to modify training requirements for experienced foster families – Georgia is providing a path for more foster parents to take part in this life-changing process.”

HB 912 is designed to ensure that foster care cases move through Juvenile Court as expeditiously as possible. This bill also requires Juvenile Courts to submit reports that document their compliance with the required prioritization of juvenile cases. The collection of this data is designed to highlight problems experienced by Juvenile Courts and inform any necessary changes or re-allocation of resources.

Additionally, HB 912 reduces regulations on foster care families by allowing DHS to require varying levels of training for foster families depending on the foster parent’s experience, the age of the foster child, and whether the foster family is providing respite care. The bill also now gives caregivers the ability to arrange short-term babysitting for foster children.