CS for SB 2044 - Child Protection Summary

• Revises definitions of "abandoned," "abandonment," and "institutional child abuse or neglect" to clarify that abandonment includes failure to make significant contribution to child's care and maintenance, with incarceration of parent potentially supporting abandonment findings.

• Establishes procedures for child protective investigations including standardized safety assessments, face-to-face interviews with children and parents, and documentation of present and impending dangers to each child.

• Creates process for child protective injunctions to prevent child abuse, including temporary ex parte injunctions effective for up to 15 days pending hearings, with provisions for service of process and modifications or dissolution of injunctions.

• Extends the period for failure to comply with case plans from 9 months to 12 months after adjudication or shelter care as evidence of continuing abuse, neglect, or abandonment grounds for termination of parental rights; adds criteria for courts considering incarcerated parents' termination cases.

• Reduces Children and Youth Cabinet meeting requirement from six to four times per year and modifies home study requirements to reference State Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) instead of prior automated systems.