8-806. Voluntary placement; conditions; notice of placement; time limit; rules

A. A child is eligible to be accepted into voluntary placement by a child safety worker on behalf of the department.

B. On acceptance of a child into voluntary placement, the worker must prepare a notice of placement and file the notice in the case file of the child.

C. A period of voluntary placement pursuant to this section shall not exceed ninety days. A worker shall not accept a child into voluntary placement for more than two periods within twenty-four consecutive months unless a dependency petition is pending.

D. The department may accept a voluntary placement agreement only if the department can provide necessary services that are likely to remedy the circumstances that bring the child into care within the ninety day period and one of the following applies:

1. The department plans to return the child to the parent, guardian or custodian who signed the child into voluntary placement.

2. While the child is in voluntary placement, the parent, guardian or custodian arranges a safe alternative placement for the child after the voluntary placement.

E. A worker shall not accept a child into voluntary placement without the written informed consent of the child's parent, guardian or custodian. The department shall terminate voluntary placement on receipt of written revocation of consent by the parent, guardian or custodian.

F. A worker shall not accept a child, age twelve or older and not with a developmental disability, into voluntary placement without the written informed consent of the child unless the department determines that voluntary placement of the child is clearly necessary to prevent abuse.

G. The fact of voluntary placement does not constitute abandonment, abuse or dependency as defined in this article and may not be used in a judicial proceeding as an admission of criminal wrongdoing by that parent, guardian or custodian.

H. The department shall adopt rules in accordance with title 41, chapter 6 for the purpose of assessing parents for the full or partial cost of voluntary placement.

I. The department must develop a case plan with the child's parent, guardian or custodian within ten days of a child's voluntary placement as follows:

1. The case plan shall establish the services necessary to promote the safety of the child on the planned return of the child to the parent, guardian, custodian or alternative placement.

2. The department shall provide, contract with a service provider to provide or assist in accessing community resources to provide the services in the case plan.

3. The department must share the case plan with the foster parent, physical custodian or other voluntary placement provider of the child.

J. Before returning the child to a parent, guardian, custodian or alternative placement, the department shall inform the parent, guardian, custodian or alternative placement about available financial and nonfinancial services and eligibility requirements and shall assist the parent, guardian, custodian or alternative placement to complete the necessary applications.