PRINTER'S NO. 621
No. 570 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY A. WILLIAMS, ERICKSON, KITCHEN, M. WHITE, COSTA,
TARTAGLIONE, FERLO AND LOGAN, APRIL 1, 2005
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, APRIL 1, 2005
AN ACT
1 Providing for an intergenerational family care pilot program
2 which seeks to aid persons who are not the biological or
3 adoptive parents in raising children; and providing a model
4 for a possible full-scale intergenerational family care
5 program.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the
10 Intergenerational Family Care Act.
11 Section 2. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15 "Activity areas." Space within or adjacent to the
16 intergenerational dwelling unit which is designed to serve a
17 child's exercise needs. A prime example of such an area is a
18 playground.
19 "Child." An individual under 18 years of age.
1 "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the
2 Commonwealth.
3 "Grandparent." An individual who is a biological grandparent
4 or a stepgrandparent of a child regardless of the age of the
5 individual. In the case of a child who is adopted, the term
6 includes a person who is a grandparent or stepgrandparent of a
7 child as adopted.
8 "Intergenerational dwelling unit." A place where at least
9 one child lives with a grandparent or other generation-skipping
10 older relative and where the child's adoptive or biological
11 parent is absent.
12 "Intergenerational family." A family unit which lives
13 together in an intergenerational dwelling unit.
14 "Private nonprofit organization." Any incorporated private
15 institution or foundation:
16 (1) whose net earnings do not inure to the benefit of
17 any member, founder, employee or contributor;
18 (2) that has a governing board whose membership is
19 selected in a manner to assure that there is significant
20 representation of the views of the community in which target
21 families are located and which is responsible for assisting
22 those in government housing; and
23 (3) that has been approved by the Department of State of
24 the Commonwealth.
25 "Target family." A family which lives together that includes
26 a child and has a head of household who is a grandparent of a
27 child who is raising that child or a generation-skipping older
28 relative of a child who is raising that child.
29 Section 3. Scope.
30 Nothing in this act shall be construed as providing for a
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1 full-scale intergenerational family care program. It is designed
2 to aid only those grandparents or other generation-skipping
3 older relative who are selected by the department in raising
4 children within the context of an intergenerational dwelling
5 unit.
6 Section 4. Pilot program.
7 The department shall institute a pilot program to assist
8 target families in intergenerational dwelling units by:
9 (1) Providing rental assistance to intergenerational
10 family units.
11 (2) Ensuring that persons within the department are
12 educated in the issues of child custody.
13 (3) Improving the suitability of intergenerational
14 dwelling units for children by constructing activity areas
15 for children.
16 (4) Formulating application procedures for nonprofit
17 organizations seeking to aid intergenerational family units.
18 (5) Ensuring that persons within the department are
19 trained regarding the issues of affordable housing.
20 (6) Providing day-care assistance for heads of
21 households of the target families who are working.
22 (7) Provide caseworkers to assist and counsel target
23 families.
24 Section 5. Intergenerational dwelling units.
25 The department shall select and provide assistance under this
26 section only to private nonprofit organizations whose sole
27 purpose is to expand the supply of intergenerational dwelling
28 units. Such assistance will include:
29 (1) Retrofitting existing dwelling units designated by
30 the department for use as intergenerational dwelling units.
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1 (2) Developing buildings or projects comprised solely of
2 intergenerational dwelling units.
3 Section 6. Selection of target families.
4 Target families shall be chosen by applying to the
5 department, and the department shall have the power to determine
6 which families are eligible for the pilot program.
7 Section 7. Reporting.
8 The department shall report the results of the pilot program
9 to the General Assembly on or before September 1, 2010. This
10 report shall include:
11 (1) An assessment of the overall effectiveness of the
12 pilot program.
13 (2) Recommendations about how to best serve the housing
14 needs of intergenerational families.
15 (3) The practicability of agencies, other than the
16 department, assisting in the possible full-scale
17 intergenerational family care program.
18 Section 8. Regulation.
19 The department may promulgate regulations as necessary for
20 the administration of this act.
21 Section 9. Expiration.
22 This act shall expire September 1, 2010.
23 Section 10. Effective date.
24 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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