Relating to child placements

The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. This bill relates to child placements. Under current law, the department of health and human services (HHS) is required to exercise due diligence in identifying and providing notice to certain relatives of a child when the child has been removed from the child’s parent’s custody. The bill requires HHS to employ dedicated staff at HHS’s central office for the sole purpose of exercising HHS’s due diligence requirements related to identifying and providing notice to certain relatives of children removed from parental custody. 102(1)(a) (transfer of legal custody of child and placement). If a child was placed with a licensed foster parent for at least nine months immediately preceding the dispositional hearing, the bill prohibits the court from placing the child with a different individual unless the court makes a specific finding that placement with the different individual is in the child’s best interests, and the court provides reasons for the finding.