SF0042 - Child Protection Act-amendments.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0174.E1

ENGROSSED

 

 

 

SENATE FILE NO.  SF0042

 

 

Child Protection Act-amendments.

 

Sponsored by:

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to the Child Protection Act; specifying
 2  requirements relating to reasonable efforts to reunify
 3  families; providing for the filing of a petition for
 4  termination of parental rights in certain cases; providing
 5  for periodic review of disposition orders; specifying
 6  procedures for service of process in proceedings under the
 7  act; and providing for an effective date.

 8 

 9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

10 

11         Section 1.  W.S. 14-3-440 is created to read:

12 

13         14-3-440.  Reasonable efforts for family
14  reunification; exceptions.

15 

 

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 1         (a)  Except as provided in W.S. 14-2-309(b) or (c),
 2  reasonable efforts shall be made to preserve and reunify
 3  the family:

 4 

 5              (i)  Prior to placement of the child outside the
 6  home, to prevent or eliminate the need for removing the
 7  child from the child's home; and

 8 

 9              (ii)  To make it possible for the child to safely
10  return to the child's home.

11 

12         (b)  In determining what reasonable efforts shall be
13  made with respect to a child and in making those reasonable
14  efforts, the child's health and safety shall be the
15  paramount concern.

16 

17         (c)  Reasonable efforts to place a child for adoption
18  or with a legal guardian may be made concurrently with the
19  reasonable efforts described in subsection (a) of this
20  section.

21 

22         (d)  If continuation of reasonable efforts described
23  in subsection (a) of this section is determined to be
24  inconsistent with the permanency plan for the child,

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 1  reasonable efforts shall be made for placement of the child
 2  in a timely manner in accordance with the permanency plan,
 3  and to complete the steps necessary to finalize the
 4  permanent placement of the child.

 5 

 6         (e)  Reasonable efforts determinations shall include
 7  whether or not services to the family have been accessible,
 8  available and appropriate.

 9 

10         (f)  The court shall make the reasonable efforts
11  determinations required under this section at every court
12  hearing. The reasonable efforts determinations shall be
13  documented in the court's orders.

14 

15         (g)  If the court determines as provided in W.S.
16  14-2-309(a)(vi), (b) or (c) that reasonable efforts to
17  preserve and reunify the family are not required:

18 

19              (i)  A permanency hearing as described in W.S.
20  14-3-431(c) shall be held for the child within thirty (30)
21  days after the determination; and

22 

23              (ii)  Reasonable efforts shall be made to place
24  the child in a timely manner in accordance with the

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 1  permanency plan, and to complete whatever steps are
 2  necessary to finalize the permanent placement of the child.

 3 

 4         (h)  A petition to terminate parental rights shall be
 5  filed within sixty (60) days of a judicial determination
 6  that reasonable efforts to reunify the child and parent are
 7  not required pursuant to W.S. 14-2-309(a)(vi), (b) or (c).

 8 

 9         Section 2.  W.S. 14-3-402(a)(xviii), 14-3-414(c) and
10  14-3-431(c) and by creating new subsections (d) through (f)
11  are amended to read:

12 

13         14-3-402.  Definitions.

14 

15         (a)  As used in this act:

16 

17              (xviii)  "This act" means W.S. 14-3-401 through
18  14-3-439 14-3-440.

19 

20         14-3-414.  Service of process; order of custody.

21 

22         (c)  If it appears to the court by affidavit that the
23  parents, guardian or custodian of the child cannot be found
24  within the state, the court may order personal service

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 1  outside the state or service by certified mail with return
 2  receipt requested signed by addressee only. If The state
 3  agency having custody of the child shall also file an
 4  affidavit with the court explaining the efforts made to
 5  locate the missing parent when the address of the child's
 6  parents, guardian or custodian is unknown and cannot with
 7  reasonable diligence be ascertained, and the court shall
 8  appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the child and to
 9  receive service of process.

10 

11         14-3-431.  Duration of orders of disposition;
12  termination of orders; petition for termination of parental
13  rights.

14 

15         (c)  Not less than once every twelve (12) months, The
16  court of jurisdiction shall conduct a formal shall conduct
17  a review to assess and determine the appropriateness of the
18  current placement, the reasonable efforts made to reunify
19  the family, the safety of the child and the permanency plan
20  for the child hearing six (6) months from the date of the
21  child's removal from the home, twelve (12) months from the
22  date of the child's removal from the home, and not less
23  than once every twelve (12) months thereafter. At each of

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 1  these review hearings the court shall review the case plan
 2  to determine:

 3 

 4              (i)  The health and safety of the child;

 5 

 6              (ii)  The continuing necessity for the placement;

 7 

 8              (iii)  The appropriateness of the placement;

 9 

10              (iv)  The extent of compliance with the case
11  plan;

12 

13              (v)  If progress has been made toward alleviating
14  or mitigating the causes necessitating placement outside
15  the home and the extent of that progress; and

16 

17              (vi)  The date the child is expected to be
18  returned to the home or placed for adoption or legal
19  guardianship.

20 

21         (d)  When a child has been placed in foster care under
22  the responsibility of the state for fifteen (15) of the
23  most recent twenty-two (22) months the state shall file a
24  petition to terminate parental rights or seek to be joined

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 1  as a party to the petition if a petition has been filed by
 2  another party, unless:

 3 

 4              (i)  The child is in the care of a relative;

 5 

 6              (ii)  The state agency has documented in the case
 7  plan a compelling reason for determining that filing the
 8  petition is not in the best interest of the child; or

 9 

10              (iii)  The state agency has not provided services
11  to the child's family deemed to be necessary for the safe
12  return of the child to the home, if reasonable efforts
13  described in W.S. 14-3-440 are required to be made.

14 

15         (e)  Concurrently with the filing of a petition under
16  subsection (d) of this section, the state agency shall
17  identify, recruit, process and approve a qualified family
18  for adoption of the child.

19 

20         (f)  A termination of parental rights hearing shall be
21  held within ninety (90) days of the filing of the
22  termination petition unless continued by the court for good
23  cause shown.

24 

 

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 1         Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2001.

 2 

 3                         (END)

 

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