Title 4 — Public Care Systems.

For the purposes of this part, the term “Youth” means an individual under 21 years of age who is in the care of the Agency.

(a) Within 90 days of April 23, 2013, the Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2 [§ 2-501 et seq.], shall amend existing rules governing youth in foster care, namely, 29 DCMR §§ 6004, 6203, and 6303, (Statement of Rights and Responsibilities for youth in foster h…

(a) When a youth comes under the care of the Agency, the Agency shall inform the youth of the youth’s rights and disseminate to the youth and the appropriate care providers the Statements of Rights and Responsibilities. (b) The Agency shall disseminate the Statements of Rights an…

(a) Within 90 days of April 23, 2013, the Agency shall develop an implementation plan for the dissemination of the Statements of Rights and Responsibilities and a mechanism for receiving and handling complaints or concerns made by youth or on behalf of youth and provide a mechani…

For the purposes of this part: (1) “Adult” means an individual who is at least 18 years of age. (1A) “Agency” means the Child and Family Services Agency established by § 4-1303.01a. (2) “Applicant” means a person applying for a criminal records check under this part. (3) “Convict…

The following individuals shall apply for a criminal records check under this part: (1) An individual who seeks to be approved or licensed as an adoptive parent by the Agency or by any licensed child-placing agency; (2) An individual who seeks to be approved or licensed as a fost…

(a) Within the time stated in subsection (b) of this section, an applicant shall apply for a criminal records check by submitting to the Agency, licensed child-placing agency, or the police: (1) A complete set of legible fingerprints taken on standard fingerprint cards by the Age…

(a) A person who is required to have a criminal records check under this part shall pay for: (1) The mandatory processing fee required by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for conducting the national criminal records check; (2) Reasonable administrative costs to the police for …

(a) The Agency or licensed child-placing agency shall forward complete sets of legible fingerprints taken on standard fingerprints cards by the Agency or licensed child-placing agency to the police or state law enforcement agency. (b) The police shall: (1) Access the District cri…

(a) The provisions of this section shall apply to an individual who seeks to be: (1) Approved or licensed as an adoptive or foster parent, a legal guardian, or a kinship caregiver; (2) Permitted to become an adoptive parent under Chapter 3 of Title 16; or (3) Permitted to have a …

(a) If an individual described in § 4-1305.02(1), (2), or (3), or any adult residing in the home of an individual described in § 4-1305.02(1), (2), or (3), fails to request a criminal records check as required by this part, the Agency may deny approval or licensure. (b) If an ind…

(a) Information obtained pursuant to a criminal records check shall be confidential. It shall be disseminated only to: (1) The individual who is the subject of the criminal records check; (2) The Agency for the purpose of receiving and screening the results of a criminal records …

(a) An individual who discloses confidential information in violation of § 4-1305.08 shall be guilty of a criminal offense and, upon conviction, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or a term of incarceration of not more than 180 days, or both. (b) An individual who…

(a) The Mayor may, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, issue rules to implement the provisions of this subchapter within 90 days of June 27, 2000. The proposed rules shall be submitted to the Council for a 45-day period of review, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, legal…

It is the purpose of this subchapter to require a report of a suspected neglected child in order to identify neglected children; to assure that protective services will be made available to a neglected child to protect the child and his or her siblings and to prevent further abus…

(a) Notwithstanding § 14-307, any person specified in subsection (b) of this section who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child known to him or her in his or her professional or official capacity has been or is in immediate danger of being a mentally or physically …

(a) Each person required to make a report of a known or suspected neglected child shall: (1) Immediately make an oral report of the case to the Child and Family Services Agency or the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia; and (2) Make a written report of the…

Any person, hospital, or institution participating in good faith in the making of a report pursuant to this subchapter shall have immunity from liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed with respect to the making of the report. Any such participati…

Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 14-306 and 14-307, neither the spouse or domestic partner privilege nor the physician-patient privilege shall be grounds for excluding evidence in any proceeding in the Family Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia concerni…

Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, no child who in good faith is under treatment solely by spiritual means through prayer in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination by a duly accredited practitioner thereof sh…

Any person required to make a report under this subchapter who willfully fails to make such a report shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, imprisoned not more than 180 days, or both. Violations of this subchapter shall be prosecuted by the Attorney Ge…

(a) The Child and Family Services Agency shall file a missing person report with the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) for any child in the custody of the Child and Family Services Agency immediately after discovering that the child is missing from the child’s home or out-of…

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Child” means a person under 18 years of age. (2) “Child abuse” means harm or threatened harm to a child’s health or welfare by a person responsible for the child’s health or welfare, which occurs through the intentional inflicti…

(a) There is established in the District of Columbia a private nonprofit corporation which shall be known as the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Children’s Trust Fund (“Trust Fund”). The sole purpose of the Trust Fund is to encourage child abuse and child neglect prevention pr…

(a) A self-perpetuating Board of Directors is established to manage the affairs of the Trust Fund. The Board of Directors shall have 15 members. The D.C. Treasurer and the Director of the Department of Human Services shall serve as members of the Board of Directors. The remaining…

(a) The Board of Directors shall: (1) Administer the Trust Fund; (2) File such papers as may be required by the Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia; (3) Have the power to adopt, amend, or repeal bylaws for operation of the Trust Fund; (4) Remove a member by a 2/3rd vote…

The Trust Fund shall maintain a designated agent to accept service of process for the Trust Fund. Notice to or service upon the agent is notice or service upon the Trust Fund.

The Trust Fund may exercise those powers conferred upon a nonprofit corporation pursuant to Chapters 1 and 4 of Title 29.

Except as otherwise provided in a contract or legacy transferring or loaning property to the Trust Fund, upon dissolution of the Trust Fund as a corporation, all remaining assets shall be transferred to the Mayor of the District of Columbia. The Mayor shall make every effort to u…

The Trust Fund may engage in such activities that make it eligible for treatment as an organization described in § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) ) which may be exempt from federal taxation under § 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S…

Repealed Repealed.

Repealed Repealed.

Repealed Repealed.

The District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency (referred to as “CFSA”) shall maintain an accurate database listing and tracking any child found by the Family Division of the District of Columbia Superior Court to be abused or neglected and who is in the custody of the …

Not later than September 30, 1999, CFSA shall enter into contracts with private service providers to perform some of the adoption recruitment and placement functions of CFSA, which may include recruitment, homestudy, and placement services. Any contract entered into pursuant to s…

This subchapter may be cited as the “Child Fatality Review Committee Establishment Act of 2001”.

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Child” means an individual who is 18 years of age or younger, or up to 21 years of age if the child is a committed ward of the child welfare, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or juvenile systems of the District of Co…

(a) There is established, as part of the District of Columbia government, a Child Fatality Review Committee. Facilities and other administrative support may be provided in a specific department or through the Committee, as determined by the Mayor. (b) The Committee shall: (1) Ide…

(a) The Mayor shall appoint a minimum of one representative from appropriate programs providing services to children within the following public agencies: (1) Department of Human Services; (2) Department of Health; (3) Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; (4) Child and Family Se…

(a) The Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the deaths of children who were residents of the District of Columbia and of such children who, or whose families, at the time of death: (1) Or at any point during the 2 years prior to the child’s death, were known to the juven…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, immediately upon the request of the Committee and as necessary to carry out the Committee’s purpose and duties, the Committee shall be provided, without cost and without authorization of the persons to whom the information or record…

(a) When necessary for the discharge of its duties, the Committee shall have the authority to issue subpoenas to compel witnesses to appear and testify and to produce books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, documents, or other relevant records. (b) Except as provided in subsect…

(a) Proceedings of the Committee shall be closed to the public and shall not be subject to § 1-207.42, when the Committee is discussing cases of individual child deaths or where the identity of any person, other than a person who has consented to be identified, can be ascertained…

(a) All information and records generated by the Committee, including statistical compilations and reports, and all information and records acquired by, and in the possession of, the Committee are confidential. (b) Except as permitted by this section, information and records of t…

Any health-care provider or any other person or institution providing information to the Committee pursuant to this subchapter shall have immunity from liability, administrative, civil, or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed with respect to the disclosure of the…

Whoever discloses, receives, makes use of, or knowingly permits the use of information concerning a deceased child or other person in violation of this subchapter shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000. Violations of this subchapter shall be prosecuted by the Corporat…

(a) Notwithstanding, but in addition to, the provisions of any law, including § 14-307 and Chapter 12 of Title 7, any person or official specified in subsection (b) of this section who has knowledge of the death of a child who died in the District of Columbia, or a ward of the Di…

Any person, hospital, or institution participating in good faith in the making of a report pursuant to this subchapter shall have immunity from liability, administrative, civil, and criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed with respect to the making of the report. Th…

Any person required to make a report under § 4-1371.12 who willfully fails to make the report shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned for not more than 30 days, or both. Violations of § 4-1371.12 shall be prosecuted by the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia, …