Title 47, Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions

(a) A municipality or entity may maintain and operate a temporary secure juvenile holding area, and a municipality or a nonprofit corporation may maintain and operate a juvenile detention facility or juvenile treatment facility. (b) The municipality or nonprofit corporation may r…

(a) The department shall adopt standards and regulations for the operation of juvenile detention facilities and juvenile treatment facilities in the state. (b) The department may enter into contracts with municipalities and other governmental agencies for the detention of juvenil…

(a) Subject to (e), (f), and (i) — (m) of this section, the department shall arrange for the care of every child committed to its custody by placing the child in a foster home or in the care of an agency or institution providing care for children inside or outside the state. The …

(a) A representative of the department shall visit, as often as is considered necessary, every foster home or institution in which a child is placed, and, if not satisfied as to the care given, may remove the child from the foster home or institution and place the child elsewhere…

(a) The department shall implement workload standards and a training program for employees who supervise the care of children committed to the supervision or custody of the department under AS 47.10, work with families to prevent the removal of a child from the child's home under…

(a) If the department has placed a child in a foster home, the department shall, no less often than once quarterly, make available training that will assist the foster parent or parents in providing care that will meet the needs of the child placed in the home and the requirement…

The department shall establish standards of care and adopt regulations desirable for the welfare of every child under its care.

The department shall pay the proper and necessary costs of the court and witnesses and other expenses necessarily incurred in the enforcement of AS 47.14.100 — 47.14.130.

(a) There is established within the department a Citizen Review Panel. The panel shall be composed of volunteer members who are broadly representative of the state, including members who have expertise in the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. (b) The panel shal…

(a) The state panel shall evaluate the extent to which the department is effectively discharging its child protection responsibilities under (1) the state plan submitted to the United States Department of Health and Human Services under 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b); (2) child protection st…

(a) The department shall provide the panel access to information on child abuse or neglect cases that is necessary for the panel to carry out its duties under AS 47.14.215. (b) The department shall serve as staff to the state panel as requested by the panel members.

(a) A person attending a meeting of the state panel or a member or staff of the state panel may not make any disclosure related to information obtained during a review by the state panel unless authorized under AS 47.10.092 or 47.10.093. (b) Meetings of the state panel are subjec…

The state panel shall conduct public outreach and gather public comment on current department procedures and practices involving children and family services.

(a) The state panel shall prepare and make available to the governor, the legislature, and the public an annual report containing a summary of the activities of the panel conducted under AS 47.14.205 — 47.14.295 and recommendations for the improvement of child protection services…

A violation under AS 47.14.235 is subject to a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for each violation.

A member of the state panel and a person who furnishes services to or advises the state panel is not liable for damages or other relief in an action involving the performance or failure to perform a duty or other activity of the state panel.

In AS 47.14.205 — 47.14.295, (1) “near fatality” has the meaning given in AS 47.10.990; (2) “state panel” means the Citizen Review Panel established under AS 47.14.205.

(a) The department, a state or municipal agency with expertise in child abuse or neglect, or a tribe recognized by the United States Secretary of the Interior to exist as an Indian tribe under 25 U.S.C. 5131 (Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994) with expertise in c…

(a) The department shall administer a program to encourage investment by a person or entity in the education of eligible children in the state. The program must include (1) a central office, dedicated to faith-based and community services, for development and marketing of the pro…

The department may accept grants-in-aid from the federal government or private foundations and may accept other gifts consistent with the purposes of this chapter.

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, (1) “care” or “caring” under AS 47.14.100(c) means to provide for the physical, emotional, mental, and social needs of the child; (2) “child in need of aid” means a child found to be within the jurisdiction of the court unde…