LA SB333

Enacts Children's Code Art. 710.1 requiring courts to notify caregivers (relatives, foster parents, or court-approved custodians) of disposition and permanency hearings and allow them to attend and testify about the child's safety, well-being, and placement stability

Caregivers who have provided continuous care for at least 6 months may petition for limited participatory status, allowing them to testify and present evidence without becoming a formal party or diminishing parental constitutional rights

Courts must provide written reasons for reunification findings when a child has lived with a caregiver for 6+ months, addressing attachment, correction of conditions, and risk of harm

Completion of case plan services does not create a presumption favoring reunification unless the underlying risk to the child has been eliminated

Effective August 1, 2026; explicitly states the provisions do not supersede federal law including the Adoption and Safe Families Act