SB 644

Under current law, there is created a Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership

Council (council) that is attached to the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

The council is required to do all of the following:

1. Formulate suggested policies and plans for the improvement of the child

welfare system in Milwaukee County and make recommendations with respect to

those policies and plans to DCF and the legislature.

2. Formulate suggested measures for evaluating the effectiveness of the child

welfare system in Milwaukee County, including outcome measures, and make

recommendations with respect to those measures to DCF and the legislature.

3. Formulate suggested funding priorities for the child welfare system in

Milwaukee County and make recommendations with respect to those funding

priorities to DCF and the legislature.

4. Identify innovative public and private funding opportunities for the child

welfare system in Milwaukee County and make recommendations with respect to

those funding opportunities to DCF and the legislature.

This bill requires the council to submit an annual report of those

recommendations to DCF, which within 60 days after receiving the report must

prepare a response to those recommendations and transmit the report, together with

its response, to the governor and to the appropriate standing committees of the

legislature. The bill also requires the council to hold at least one public hearing each

year at which the council must encourage public participation and solicit public

input regarding the child welfare system in Milwaukee County.