This bill amends existing laws regarding the delegation of custodial rights and duties for children, specifically when legal custody is transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It allows HHS to delegate its custodial rights and duties to licensed individuals providing child foster care. The rights and duties that can be delegated include the responsibility to protect, train, and discipline the child, as well as to provide essential needs such as food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Importantly, these delegated rights and duties remain subject to any residual rights and duties of the child's parent or guardian.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that HHS can consent to routine medical care for a child, enabling the child to participate in normal activities alongside peers. Routine medical care encompasses preventative care (excluding vaccinations), nonemergency medical care, and necessary medications. Furthermore, HHS is required to notify individual licensees when it delegates the right to consent to routine medical care on behalf of a child, ensuring that licensed caregivers are informed of their responsibilities in this regard.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 232.2, 237.10