Relative And Kin Placement Of A Child
The bill establishes several measures that protect the best interests of a child or youth and that will not hinder reunification with the child's or youth's family when the child or youth has been temporarily placed outside the family home with a relative or kin (relative), including:
- Permitting a relative to appeal when denied placement of the child or youth with the relative;
- Requiring the department of human services (department), to use reasonable efforts to help a relative whose barrier to caring for the child or youth is a lack of resources;
- Amending the court's advisement to the parent so it is consistent with changes to statute;
- Specifying what information should be included in a notice to relatives when the child or youth has been removed from the child's or youth home;
- Requiring that courts give preference to a relative unless placement with that relative would negatively affect the child's or youth's
health, safety, or welfaremental, physical, or emotional needs, or hinder reunification with the child's or youth's family; - Providing options for a relative to be allowed to participate in a child's or youth's care and planning;
- Creating a rebuttable presumption that placement with a relative is in the child's or youth's best interest.
as long as the child's or youth's health or safety is not jeopardized by the placement; andThe presumption may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence, giving primary consideration to the child's or youth's mental, physical, and emotional needs, including the child's or youth's preference regarding placement. - Requiring that caseworkers inform the court of efforts to identify and place a child or youth with a relative.
(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)