MS HB1204

Creates requirement for Department of Child Protection Services to conduct diligent search within 30 days of taking a child into custody for adult relatives and persons with significant relationships to the child, including absent parents, maternal and paternal relatives, fictive kin, and family friends.

Mandates notice to identified relatives specifying the child's removal from parental custody, explaining participation options in child's placement, describing foster care licensing process, and detailing available financial assistance for relative or fictive kin placements.

Establishes placement preference order prioritizing: parent, kinship care with extended family or significant relationship person, licensed family foster care, therapeutic foster care, group home, and residential treatment facility.

Requires department to place child in least restrictive placement available consistent with child's best interests, with court presumption that continuation of current placement is in child's best interests absent evidence to the contrary.

Directs department to develop plan by January 1, 2022 for taking photographs and fingerprints of all children in state custody (except short-term temporary custody) and implement plan using public and private grants.