AL HB571

Foster parents gain the right to be heard at any court hearings concerning their foster child and may submit written reports to the court on the child's status and welfare

Foster parents caring for a child who has been in Department of Human Resources custody for at least 15 months may intervene as a matter of right as a party in any legal proceeding involving that child

Courts must grant intervention motions unless they issue written findings that intervention would harm the child's best interests and interfere with the child's right to timely, permanent case resolution

Foster parents do not need Department of Human Resources consent to file intervention motions and cannot face reprisal for exercising this right; however, the right to intervene does not include court-appointed counsel

Effective date: October 1, 2026