The bill amends Section 14-1-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 14-1, "Proceedings in Family Court," to expand the jurisdiction of the court over children categorized as wayward, delinquent, dependent, neglected, or abused. It stipulates that children under the court's jurisdiction before their eighteenth birthday will remain under its authority until they turn nineteen, unless discharged earlier. The bill mandates the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to provide a detailed transition services plan at least six months prior to the child's eighteenth birthday. Additionally, it allows for voluntary extended care and legal supervision until the age of twenty-one for young adults who were in foster care on their eighteenth birthday, contingent upon meeting specific educational or employment criteria. The bill also introduces provisions for former foster children adopted or placed in guardianship after their sixteenth birthday, enabling them to agree to extended care until age twenty-one under certain conditions.

Moreover, the bill modifies the jurisdictional age for individuals involved in the court system by replacing references to the "18th birthday" with "nineteen years of age," allowing the court to maintain jurisdiction over individuals who committed offenses before turning nineteen. It clarifies that the court can impose sentences beyond the age of nineteen for certified and adjudicated children, ensuring that penalties align with the statute for the offense. The act also emphasizes the need for comprehensive transition plans for children with emotional or developmental challenges and establishes the right to a transition hearing for parents or guardians if no appropriate plan is submitted by the time the child reaches twenty. The act aims to extend the Voluntary Extension of Care (VEC) program to include children in the juvenile justice system and those who reunify before their eighteenth birthday but do not achieve successful reunification, and it will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
5260: 14-1-6