This bill amends existing laws regarding child placements by enhancing the responsibilities of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) when a child is removed from parental custody. It mandates that HHS employ dedicated staff at its central office specifically to fulfill the due diligence requirements of identifying and notifying certain relatives of the child, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and adult siblings, within thirty days of the custody removal. This requirement is subject to exceptions in cases involving family or domestic violence.

Additionally, the bill modifies the court's authority in child custody decisions following a dispositional hearing. It stipulates that a court cannot order the placement of a child with individuals outside of the child's adult relatives without a specific finding that such placement is not in the child's best interests, along with the reasons for that finding. Furthermore, if a child has been placed with a licensed foster parent for at least nine months prior to the hearing, the court is prohibited from transferring the child to another individual unless it determines that the new placement is in the child's best interests and provides justification for that decision.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 232.84, 232.102