HB131 Alabama 2016 Session

Under existing law, a child who is placed for care may be placed with a kinship guardian

This bill would provide for a successor guardian to be named in a kinship guardian agreement in the event the kinship guardian dies or becomes incapacitated

Under existing law, a standard is not provided for a foster parent or a designated institutional caregiver of a foster child to authorize a child to participate in age or developmentally appropriate activities

This bill would define age or developmentally appropriate for the purposes of childhood activities and specify a reasonable and prudent parent standard for a caregiver to allow a child to participate in activities and would provide the standard would apply for purposes of caregiver liability

The bill would also require the juvenile court to consider services for a child at age 14 or over, instead of age 16 or over, related to transition of the child from foster care to independent living

Relating to foster care and kinship guardianship; to amend Sections 12-15-301, 12-15-314, 12-15-315, 38-12-32, 38-12-35, 38-12-36, 38-12-37, 38-12-38, and 38-12-40 of the Code of Alabama 1975, to provide for the appointment of successor guardianships when a kinship guardian dies or is incapacitated; to require the juvenile court to consider services needed to assist a child to make the transition from foster care to independent living at the age of 14 instead of age 16; and to define age or developmentally appropriate childhood activities and reasonable and prudent parent standard for caregivers of children in foster care; and to provide that the reasonable and prudent parent standard would apply for purposes of caregiver liability.