30:4C-57. Child placement review boards

a. The assignment judge in each county shall establish as an arm of the family part of the Chancery Division of the Superior Court one or more child placement review boards. The number of review boards in each county shall be based on the number of reviews conducted in the previous calendar year, so that, where practicable, there shall be at least one review board for each 200 reviews. Each board shall consist of five members to be appointed by the judge from among the residents of such county. The judge also shall appoint to each board two alternate members, who shall serve as regular members when regular members are not present. Each member shall be a person who has either training, experience or interest in issues concerning child placement or child development. Each board shall, to the maximum extent feasible, represent the various socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups of the county in which it serves. The judge shall annually appoint one of the regular members of the board as chairperson.

Members shall be initially appointed for a provisional term of one year and may be reappointed for subsequent terms of three years. Alternate members shall fill any vacancy until a regular board member has been appointed. Alternate members may be appointed as regular members. The appointed member shall serve for the duration of the unexpired term or for a provisional term of one year, whichever is less. If a board member does not serve satisfactorily, the assignment judge may remove that member pursuant to standards developed by the Child Placement Advisory Council and the Administrative Office of the Courts. When a vacancy occurs, the judge shall appoint a new member within 30 days. Members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for such reasonable and necessary expenses, including but not limited to child care expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. The governing body of the county in which the board serves may provide for reimbursement to review board members for such additional and reasonable expenses as the governing body may determine.

In accordance with guidelines and procedures established by the Supreme Court, members shall attend initial training sessions before being sworn in as a regular member or as an alternate. A regular member or alternate member shall not serve until that person has completed the required training.

The assignment judge, in consultation with the family part judges and review board members, shall ensure that reviews are held at those times necessary to meet the requirements of P.L. 1977, c. 424 (C. 30:4C-50 et seq.) and court directives related thereto. The assignment judge shall ensure that each family part of the Chancery Division of the Superior Court shall provide its board with reasonable and necessary administrative and clerical support services to facilitate the operation of the board and to meet the requirements of P.L. 1977, c. 424 (C. 30:4C-50 et seq.) and any court directives related thereto. These services shall include, but are not limited to, obtaining and reviewing information requested by the board, preparing and dispatching all notices and reports required under P.L. 1977, c. 424 (C. 30:4C-50 et seq.), arranging for board meetings and maintaining a permanent record of all board proceedings, collecting statistical data and serving as a liaison to the division.

b. The assignment judge and family part judges, in consultation with the board in each county shall develop annually a county child placement review plan for the delivery of review services. The county plan shall be prepared in a format prescribed by the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Child Placement Advisory Council established pursuant to section 13 of P.L. 1977, c. 424 (C. 30:4C-62) and shall contain a budget and narrative for review services and identify resource needs for the county review system. The assignment judge is responsible for final county review and approval of the county plan and for forwarding the plan to the Child Placement Advisory Council and the Administrative Office of the Courts for their review. The budget contained in each county plan shall be part of the Judiciary budget submitted by the assignment judge to the freeholders or county executive.

The assignment judge shall report to the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Child Placement Advisory Council any significant variation in implementation of the county plan.

c. The board in each county, with the assistance of that county's child placement review coordinator, shall annually prepare a report which specifies issues, needs and service gaps affecting the children under review by the board and, where appropriate, make recommendations as to needed changes or services. The board shall submit the report to the Child Placement Advisory Council established pursuant to section 13 of P.L. 1977, c. 424 (C. 30:4C-62) for review. The council may include the stated needs in its annual report to the Supreme Court, the Governor and the Legislature.

d. The Supreme Court may issue rules concerning the duties, responsibilities, training and practices of the boards consistent with the provisions of P.L. 1977, c. 424 (C. 30:4C-50 et seq.), but the minimum qualifications for a person employed as a county child placement review coordinator and hired after the effective date of P.L. 1987, c. 252, shall not be less than a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education and two years' experience working with children and their families and relevant training, knowledge or experience in working with volunteers.

L. 1977, c. 424, s.8; amended by L. 1978, c. 125, s. 4; 1982, c. 24, s. 2; 1984, c. 85, s. 2; 1987, c. 252, s. 4.