Title 47, Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions

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…

The governor shall execute a compact on the behalf of the state with any other state or states legally joining in it in substantially the following form: The compacting states to this Interstate Compact recognize that each state is responsible for the proper supervision or return…

Under the compact established under AS 47.15.010, the commissioner of family and community services may designate an officer as the compact administrator. The compact administrator shall cooperate with all departments, agencies, and officers of and in the government of this state…

The State Council for Interstate Adult and Juvenile Offender Supervision created in AS 33.36.140 shall serve as the state council under AS 47.15.010.

The compact administrator may make supplementary agreements with appropriate officials of other states pursuant to the compact. If a supplementary agreement requires or contemplates the use of an institution or facility of this state or requires or contemplates the provision of a…

The Department of Family and Community Services may adopt regulations to implement the provisions of this chapter.

The compact administrator, subject to the approval of the commissioner of administration, may make or arrange for the payments necessary to discharge the financial obligations imposed upon this state by the compact or by a supplementary agreement made under the compact.

The courts, departments, agencies and officers of this state and its subdivisions shall enforce this compact and shall do all things appropriate to the effectuation of its purposes and intent which are within their respective jurisdiction.

In addition to the procedures provided under AS 47.15.010 for the return of a runaway juvenile, the states that are participants to the compact, the juvenile, the juvenile's parents or other legal custodian, or the courts of the participating states may agree upon and adopt any p…

This chapter may be cited as the Interstate Compact for Juveniles.

To protect children whose health and well-being may be adversely affected through the infliction, by other than accidental means, of harm through physical injury or neglect, mental injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or maltreatment, the legislature requires the reporting …

(a) The following persons who, in the performance of their occupational duties, their appointed duties under (8) of this subsection, or their volunteer duties under (9) of this subsection, have reasonable cause to suspect that a child has suffered harm as a result of child abuse …

(a) A person employed by the state or by a school district who is required under this chapter to report abuse or neglect of children shall receive training on the recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect. (b) Each department of the state and school district that emplo…

A person providing, either privately or commercially, film, photo, or visual or printed matter processing, production, or finishing services or computer installation, repair, or other services, or Internet or cellular telephone services who, in the process of providing those serv…

(a) A practitioner of the healing arts involved in the delivery or care of an infant who the practitioner determines has been adversely affected by, or is withdrawing from exposure to, a controlled substance or alcohol shall immediately notify the nearest office of the department…

(a) A law enforcement agency shall immediately notify the department of the receipt of a report of harm to a child from abuse. Upon receipt from any source of a report of harm to a child from abuse, the department shall notify the Department of Law and investigate the report and,…

(a) If the department or a law enforcement agency provides written certification to the child's school officials that (1) there is reasonable cause to suspect that the child has been abused or neglected by a person responsible for the child's welfare or as a result of conditions …

(a) If a child, concerning whom a report of harm is made, is believed to reside within the boundaries of a local government exercising health functions for the area in which the child is believed to reside, the department may, upon receipt of the report, refer the matter to the a…

(a) In investigating child abuse and neglect reports under this chapter, the department may make necessary inquiries about the criminal records of the parents or of the alleged abusive or neglectful person, including inquiries about the existence of a criminal history record invo…

(a) In consultation with the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, the department shall develop written procedures for screening reports of harm for abuse and neglect of a child to assess whether there is domestic violence occurring within the family. The procedures mu…

(a) The department shall maintain a child protection registry of all investigation reports, including substantiated findings under AS 47.10 or AS 47.17. (b) Investigation reports and reports of harm filed under this chapter are considered confidential and are not subject to publi…

(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, a person who, in good faith, makes a report under this chapter, permits an interview under AS 47.17.027, or participates in judicial proceedings related to the submission of reports under this chapter, is immune from civil or crimina…

Neither the physician-patient nor the husband-wife privilege is a ground for excluding evidence regarding a child's harm, or its cause, in a judicial proceeding related to a report made under this chapter.

(a) The department or a practitioner of the healing arts may, without the permission of the parents, guardian, or custodian, take the following actions with regard to a child who the department or practitioner has reasonable cause to suspect has suffered physical harm as a result…

A person who fails to comply with the provisions of AS 47.17.020 or 47.17.023 and who knew or should have known that the circumstances gave rise to the need for a report, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

(a) A court may enjoin or limit a person from contact with a child if the attorney general establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that the person (1) has sexually abused a child; (2) has physically abused a child; or (3) has engaged in conduct that constitutes a clear and…

In this chapter, (1) “athletic coach” means (A) a paid leader or assistant of a sports team; or (B) a volunteer leader or assistant of a sports team who volunteers as a leader or assistant of a sports team for more than four hours a week; (2) “child” means a person under 18 years…

(a) With the advice of the Alaska Human Relations Commission, the department shall develop a comprehensive statewide plan to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of state programs that relate to the prevention of adolescent pregnancy and the provision of services to adolescent…

(a) The department shall develop and implement statewide a continuing public awareness campaign, including appropriate public forums and workshops, radio and television public service announcements, and press releases designed to (1) communicate to the public the scope and magnit…

In order to encourage and support community-based initiatives to combat the many problems associated with adolescent pregnancy and parenthood, the department shall, from appropriations for that purpose, give grants or award contracts to fund a percentage of the cost of local proj…

(a) Projects funded under AS 47.18.100 shall be designed with a holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of adolescent parenthood and a broad array of related circumstances, such as low self-esteem, domestic violence, substance abuse, economic security, financial …

(a) A person or group seeking funding under AS 47.18.100 shall apply to the department on a form provided by the department. (b) When applying under (a) of this section, the applicant must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that the proposed project (1) has been de…

(a) The department shall take appropriate actions to publicize the availability of funds under AS 47.18.100 — 47.18.140. (b) The department shall annually conduct regional conferences or workshops across the state to (1) showcase the activities and achievements of projects funded…

(a) The department shall develop and implement a continuing statewide program of technical support and assistance to encourage school districts, municipalities, and nonprofit corporations incorporated under AS 10.20 that initiate implementation, or that are considering implementa…

(a) The department, in coordination with local public and private agencies, shall design, develop, and implement a foster care transition program to provide support and services to individuals who (1) reach or have reached the age of 16 or older while in state foster care and hav…

The department, in coordination with local public and private agencies, shall design the program as a continuation of the training efforts related to independent living skills that were initiated when the state foster care recipients were identified as being likely to remain in s…

(a) Subject to the availability of an appropriation made for the purposes of AS 47.18.300 — 47.18.390, the program may provide (1) education and vocational training; (2) assistance in obtaining educational and vocational training; (3) career and employment services; (4) training …

(a) The department may implement the program through the award of contracts or grants to qualified entities to provide services under the program. The department may award contracts and grants if the contracts and grants further the purposes of and meet the requirements of AS 47.…