Child Welfare Bill Approved By House

A bill promoted as a fix of the troubled state child welfare system easily passes the House and moves to the Senate. And, though the foster care bill wins approval on a 121-to-14 vote, it has its critics. The bill calls for the state to experiment with privatization. It tightens court deadlines when children are taken from the home, beefs up parental rights and opens court records in such cases. The Legislature began work on the system after 2-year-old Dominic James died while in the care of state-approved foster parents.