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IN SB0431
Bill
AI Summary
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Requires the Department of Child Services and courts to consider the best interests of the child when determining placement for children taken into custody as alleged children in need of services
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Changes foster parent intervention rights from permissive ("may grant") to mandatory ("shall grant"), requiring courts to approve petitions from foster parents, long-term foster parents, or former foster parents to intervene as parties in CHINS proceedings when intervention serves the child's best interests
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Mandates that when a child who was previously in out-of-home placement, then moved to in-home placement, must return to out-of-home care, the court and department must make reasonable attempts to place the child with the previous out-of-home placement
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Requires balancing the child's best interests with maintaining the most family-like setting available in out-of-home placement decisions
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Effective date: July 1, 2019
Legislative Description
Child placement. Provides that the best interests of the child must be considered in determining placement of an alleged child in need of services who has been taken into custody. Provides that a court shall grant a petition to request intervention as a party to a child in need of services proceeding from: (1) a foster parent; (2) a long term foster parent; or (3) a former foster parent; if the court determines intervention is in the best interests of the child. Provides that before a child who was: (1) placed in an out-of-home placement; and (2) moved from the out-of-home placement to an in-home placement; may be returned to an out-of-home placement, the court and the department shall make a reasonable attempt to place the child in the previous out-of-home placement.
Last Action
First reading: referred to Committee on Family and Children Services
1/14/2019