A. The Office of Child Abuse Prevention, giving consideration to the recommendations of the Infant and Children's Health Advisory Council created in Section 1-103a.1 of this title, is hereby authorized and directed to:

1. Prepare and implement a comprehensive state plan for the planning and coordination of child abuse prevention programs and services and for the establishment, development and funding of such programs and services, and to revise and update the plan pursuant to the provisions of Section 1-227.3 of this title;

2. Monitor, evaluate and review the development and quality of services and programs for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, publish and distribute an annual report of its findings on or before January 1 of each year to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and to the chief administrative officer of each agency affected by the report. The report shall include:

a.activities of the Office,

b.a summary detailing the demographic characteristics of families served including, but not limited to, the following:

(1)age and marital status of parent(s),

(2)number and age of children living in the household,

(3)household composition of families served,

(4)number of families accepted into the program by grantee site and average length of time enrolled,

(5)number of families not accepted into the program and the reason therefor,

(6)average actual expenditures per family during the most recent state fiscal year, and

(7)number of individuals whose parental rights have ever been terminated and number of children born to an individual whose parental rights have ever been terminated,

c.recommendations for the further development and improvement of services and programs for the prevention of child abuse and neglect,

d.budget and program needs, and

e.statistics developed based on the reports received pursuant to Section 3 of this act; and

3. Conduct or otherwise provide for or make available continuing professional education and training in the area of child abuse prevention.

B. For the purpose of implementing the provisions of the Child Abuse Prevention Act, the State Department of Health is authorized to:

1. Accept appropriations, gifts, loans and grants from the state and federal government and from other sources, public or private;

2. Enter into agreements or contracts for the establishment and development of:

a.programs and services for the prevention of child abuse and neglect,

b.training programs for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, and

c.multidisciplinary and discipline specific training programs for professionals with responsibilities affecting children, youth and families; and

3. Secure necessary statistical, technical, administrative and operational services by interagency agreement or contract.

C. For the purpose of implementing the provisions of the Child Abuse Prevention Act, the State Commissioner of Health, giving consideration to the recommendations of the Infant and Children's Health Advisory Council created in Section 1-103a.1 of this title, is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations as necessary to implement the duties and responsibilities assigned to the Office of Child Abuse Prevention.

D. 1. The Department of Human Services shall, as soon as reasonably possible, provide the State Department of Health access to the identifying information of all individuals who, as to any child, have had their parental rights terminated and the conditions which led to the making of the finding which resulted in the termination of parental rights.

2. The Division of Vital Records shall provide birth record information to the Office of Child Abuse Prevention for a child born to an individual whose identifying information has been provided pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection.

3. The Office of Child Abuse Prevention or other appropriate division of the State Department of Health shall review the information provided by the Department of Human Services and the Division of Vital Records and, when appropriate and if the resources are available, provide an assessment of the family and offer services if needed.

Added by Laws 1984, c. 216, § 3, operative July 1, 1984. Amended by Laws 1990, c. 154, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1990; Laws 2001, c. 356, § 2, emerg. eff. June 4, 2001; Laws 2007, c. 147, § 3, eff. July 1, 2007; Laws 2013, c. 229, § 47, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2019, c. 36, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2019; Laws 2019, c. 377, § 1, eff. July 1, 2019.