An Act providing for financial assistance to foster youth and youth adopted from the foster care system; reducing the long-term costs for taxpayers by enhancing opportunities for youth who are or have been in substitute care; assisting youth who are and have been in substitute care by making college accessible; and encouraging the adoption of youth from substitute care by assisting families with the financing of postsecondary education.

HB 477 authorizes the caregivers of children and youth who are in out-of-home placement (i.e.,foster care) to approve or disapprove their foster child’s participation in age- appropriate extracurricular, family and social acti vities without prior approval or disapproval of that participation from the county child welfare agency, private placement agency, or the court, as long as that decision does not conflict with any applicable court order and service plan.

An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions, further providing for general regulations; and, in child protective services, further providing for employees having contact with children, adoptive and foster parents.

An Act requiring certain facilities and persons that provide child day care to install video camera surveillance systems; and conferring powers and duties on the Department of Human Services.

Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services, further providing for volunteers having contact with children.

Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public welfare laws of the Commonwealth," in children and youth, further providing for payments to counties for services to children.

Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services, further providing for volunteers having contact with children.

An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code, further providing for services by county children and youth offices.

Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services, further providing for the definition of "child abuse."