Section 409-D. District-wide child welfare services plan

1. Each social
  services district shall prepare and submit to the  department,  in  such
  form and manner and times as the department shall by regulation require,
  a  district-wide  child welfare services plan which shall be a component
  of the district's multi-year consolidated services plan  setting  forth:
  the  child  welfare services needs of children and families for whom the
  social services district is or may be responsible; historic program  and
  fiscal  trends  of  the  district  in the level of care, maintenance and
  services provided to children and  their  families,  including  but  not
  limited to expenditure trends, children and families served and costs of
  services  provided;  an  assessment  of  projected  program  and  fiscal
  requirements of the district in meeting identified  needs  in  the  next
  state  fiscal  year;  and  a  description  of  the resources known to be
  available or likely to become available to meet those needs.  Commencing
  the  year  following  preparation  of a multi-year consolidated services
  plan,  each  social  services   district   shall   prepare   an   annual
  implementation  report  related  to  its child welfare services plan. As
  used in this  section  "services"  shall  mean  and  include  preventive
  services,  foster  care maintenance and services, and adoption services.
  Such regulations shall include but need not be limited to  criteria  and
  methodology  for  determining  child  welfare  services  needs  and  the
  adequacy of the resources known to be  available  or  likely  to  become
  available to meet those needs.
    2.  The  child welfare services plan and annual implementation reports
  shall be developed by the district in consultation with other government
  agencies  concerned  with  the  welfare  of  children  residing  in  the
  district,  authorized  agencies,  and  other  concerned  individuals and
  organizations. The plan as submitted to the department for approval  and
  as  approved by the department shall be made available to such agencies,
  individuals and organizations upon request.
    3. (a) Each social services district shall submit  its  child  welfare
  services  plan and annual implementation reports pertaining to this plan
  to the department as a component of the multi-year consolidated services
  plan and subsequent annual implementation  reports  and  the  department
  shall  review  and approve or disapprove the proposed plan in accordance
  with the procedures set forth in section thirty-four-a of this chapter.
    (b) Such plan shall not be approved unless:
    (i) it complies with the provisions of this section;
    (ii) it demonstrates that child welfare services included in the  plan
  are  appropriate to meet the assessed needs of the children and families
  for whom the social services district is or may be responsible;
    (iii) it is consistent with applicable provisions of this chapter  and
  regulations of the department promulgated thereunder; and
    (iv)  it  is  in the format and includes such standardized information
  and data as may be required by the department  to  effectively  evaluate
  such plans.