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 welfare mental, 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; and The 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.

Foster parents who have the child or youth in their care for twelve months or more may intervene, as a matter of right, with or without counsel, following adjudication. The purpose of intervention is to provide knowledge or information concerning the care and protection of the child or youth, including the child's or youth's mental, physical, and emotional needs.

(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.)