Legislative Update

Department of Child Services

DCS technical changes and adoption subsidies

Filed Under: Juvenile

H.E.A. 1064, P.L. 46 Effective: July 1, 2024 Relocates the definition of "foster youth". Defines "licensed kinship caregiver". Makes the following changes regarding state adoption subsidies: (1) Removes the age requirement for eligibility. (2) Provides that a child who is a ward of the Department of Child Services (DCS) is considered hard to place for purposes of eligibility. … [Read more...] about DCS technical changes and adoption subsidies

Child advocacy centers

Filed Under: Juvenile

H.E.A. 1123, P.L. 54 Effective: July 1, 2024 Provides that the Department of Child Services may use a child advocacy center to coordinate a multidisciplinary team for responding to reports involving child abuse or neglect. Requires the child advocacy center to: (1) coordinate a multidisciplinary team that consists of specified professionals; (2) ensure that the … [Read more...] about Child advocacy centers

Child advocacy centers

Filed Under: Juvenile

The Senate Family and Children Services Committee heard HB 1123 authored by Rep. DeVon and sponsored by Sen. Messmer on child advocacy centers. The bill: The bill was amended by consent to provide that the bill's civil immunity provision applies to members of a child advocacy center's board of directors and to volunteers and employees of a child advocacy center. The amendment … [Read more...] about Child advocacy centers

Reunification plan for a child in need of services

Filed Under: Juvenile

The House Committee on Family, Children and Human Affairs heard SB 171 on a reunification plan for a child in need of services authored by Sen. G. Walker, Sen. Donato, and Sen. Johnson and sponsored by Rep. Lauer, Rep. Ledbetter, Rep. Patterson, and Rep. Olthoff. The bill amends the circumstances under which reasonable efforts to reunify a child with the child's parent, guardian, or … [Read more...] about Reunification plan for a child in need of services