Title XII, Public Safety and Welfare

I. A surrender shall state that the individual executing the surrender document acknowledges that the individual's parental rights over the child will cease upon the court's approval of the surrender. II. A surrender shall further state: (a) An acknowledgement that after the surr…

I. The department shall keep in a central depository records of licenses issued under this subdivision and all investigatory and monitoring reports, and final decisions relative to licensure that have been made relative to licensees. II. Information submitted in the application p…

Any delinquent returned to a secure facility under the provisions of RSA 170-H:8 shall be entitled to a hearing before the board within 10 working days. The parolee shall have the right to appear and be heard at this hearing. If the board, after a hearing, finds that the parolee …

Cases under this chapter shall be heard by the court sitting without a jury. The hearing may be conducted in an informal manner and may be adjourned from time to time. The general public and any member of the news media shall be excluded, and only such persons admitted whose pres…

I. The department shall offer an opportunity for informal dispute resolution to any child day care agency that disagrees with the results or findings of a monitoring visit. The child day care agency shall submit a written request for informal dispute resolution no later than 14 d…

I. Every child subject to revocation of parole has the right to the assistance of counsel, which may not be waived except following consultation between the child and a parent or counsel. Consultation between a child and parent is not sufficient to support waiver under this secti…

The commissioner shall adopt rules, under RSA 541-A, relative to: I. Minimum standards for licensing which apply to the various types of child day care agencies. The department shall seek the advice and assistance of persons representative of the various types of child day care a…

I. All parental rights, with the exception of inheritance rights and privileges as provided in RSA 170-B:25, II, shall cease and the right to notice of any future hearings shall be waived by a surrender executed in accordance with RSA 170-B:9 and approved by the court. II. Except…

I. Every order of the court terminating the parent-child relationship or transferring legal custody or guardianship of the person of the child shall be in writing and shall recite the findings upon which such order is based, including findings pertaining to the court's jurisdicti…

Any delinquent whose parole is revoked shall be returned to the custody of the commissioner. The offender may at any time prior to his or her eighteenth birthday be paroled again. If not paroled, a delinquent shall remain in custody until his or her eighteenth birthday.

The department may suspend, revoke, deny or refuse to renew any license or permit if the licensee or permit holder: I. Neglects or abuses children in his care; II. Does not comply with this subdivision or the rules adopted under this subdivision relative to the supervision of chi…

A delinquent on parole may be discharged by the board whenever it finds discharge to be in the best interest of the juvenile and of the state. Every discharge shall be in writing and shall be a full release from all penalties and disabilities created by the commitment.

I. A parent wishing to withdraw a surrender shall notify the court in writing where the surrender was taken. Notification shall be prior to the entry of the final decree. II. Upon receiving written notice of a parent's request to withdraw his or her surrender the court shall: (a)…

An order terminating the parent-child relationship shall divest the parent and the child of all legal rights, privileges, duties and obligations. A guardian appointed under this chapter may give his consent to the adoption of such child in lieu of the parents whose parent-child r…

I. Should the department determine to suspend, revoke, deny, or refuse to renew a license or permit, it shall send to the applicant, licensee or permittee, by registered mail, an order setting forth the particular reasons for the determination. The suspension, revocation or denia…

I. The juvenile parole board shall be administratively attached to the department of health and human services. II. The juvenile parole board shall: (a) Exercise its powers, duties, functions and responsibilities independently of the department of health and human services and wi…

I. In any adoption of an unrelated minor child under this chapter, an intended adoptive parent or anyone acting in concert with, at the direction of, or on behalf of an intended adoptive parent shall pay only the following expenses of the birth parent: (a) Reasonable counseling, …

I. The petitioner shall pay all entry fees and court costs including costs of giving notice, costs of advertising, and court-appointed guardian ad litem fees. The court, however, may waive entry fees and court costs where payment would work a hardship on the petitioner. Where the…

I. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as encouraging, discouraging, or prohibiting arrangements or understandings reached between the prospective adoptive parents, the birth parents, or the licensed child-placing agency with respect to the post-surrender exchange of ident…

Any person aggrieved by any decision rendered after a rehearing held or an appeal brought under RSA 170-E:13, IV may appeal the decision to the superior court.

Establishment of field services under the administration of the department of health and human services for children in need of services and juvenile delinquents will support the state's continuing efforts to consolidate in one agency the field services provided to children and y…

I. All hearings held in termination proceedings shall be in closed court without admittance of any person other than essential officers of the court, the parties, their witnesses, counsel, and representatives of the agencies present to perform their official duties. II. All paper…

I. The probate court has exclusive jurisdiction to grant a petition for adoption if the adoptee is present in the state or is in the legal custody or legal guardianship of an authorized agency located in the state at the time of filing of the petition. All of the requirements of …

Whenever the department is advised, or has reason to believe, that any person is operating a child day care agency without a license or permit, or in violation of any of the provisions of this subdivision, it may make an investigation to ascertain the facts. If it finds that such…

Any party aggrieved by any order or decree of the court may appeal to the supreme court. The pendency of an appeal, or an application therefor, shall not suspend the order of the court regarding the child.

The commissioner shall, through rules adopted pursuant to RSA 541-A, assign permanent juvenile probation and parole officers to each judicial district consistent with the workload formula established by the department.

Juvenile probation and parole officers under the administration of the department of health and human services shall have the power and duty: I. To serve as officers of the court and investigate at the request of any justice of the district courts which they serve, any case, matt…

A child day care agency licensed or operating under a permit issued by the department may publish advertisements of the services for which it is specifically licensed or issued a permit under this subdivision. No person who is required to obtain a license or permit under this sub…

I. A proceeding to adopt a minor child, other than a related minor child, shall be commenced by the filing of a petition within 30 days after such minor child has been placed in an adoptive home, provided that such petition may be filed at a later date by leave of court upon a sh…

I. After the filing of a petition to adopt a minor, the court shall fix a time and place for hearing the petition. Notice shall be given by the court to the petitioners, all guardians of the child, the person having legal custody of the child, and the guardian ad litem of any par…

I. If the department has reason to believe that state or federal funds solicited and received by a corporation for conduct of a child day care agency are not being used for the purpose for which the funds were awarded, or are being fraudulently used by the corporation or its memb…

I. The department shall have the power to administer oaths in any disciplinary proceedings. II. Upon request of the commissioner, the attorney general shall be authorized, for good cause shown, to subpoena witnesses and to compel, by subpoena duces tecum, the production of papers…

I. Before the petition is heard, in the adoption of a related minor child, or an adoption of a minor child through an agency, an assessment shall be made by the department, or by a licensed child-placing agency into the conditions of the petitioner for the purpose of ascertaining…

Every child day care agency shall keep and maintain such records as the department shall prescribe by rule pertaining to the admission, progress, health and discharge of children under the care of the child day care agency and shall report relative to such matters to the departme…

I. The petitioner and the adoptee shall appear at the hearing on the petition, unless the presence of either is excused by the court for good cause shown. II. The court may continue the hearing from time to time to permit further observation, assessment, or consideration of any f…

When used in this chapter, unless the text otherwise requires: I. "Court" means the probate court. II. "Child" or "minor" means a person less than 18 years of age. III. The singular includes the plural, the plural the singular, and the masculine the feminine, when consistent with…

Financial responsibility for any child placed pursuant to the provisions of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Article V of the compact in the first instance. However, in the event of partial or complete de…

As used in this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings: I. "Administrative release to parole" means an administrative procedure to provide a period of community adjustment before parole status is granted. II. [Repealed.] III. "Board" means the juvenile par…

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires: I. "Adult" means an individual who is not a minor. II. "Agency" means any person licensed by existing law to place minors for adoption. III. "Birth father" means a person or persons other than a legal father who has …

I. There are hereby established within the department of health and human services the following bureaus: (a) Bureau of children. (b) Bureau of community services. (c) Bureau of administrative services. II. The commissioner may establish such other bureaus as may be necessary for…

In this chapter: I. "Applicant" means a person, institution or agency who intends to receive for child day care one or more children unrelated to the operator and who indicates that intent to the department by filling out the forms prescribed by rule adopted by the commissioner p…

If any child under the control of any licensed child day care agency dies, the licensee shall give notice of such event to the department within 24 hours.

I. If at any time between the filing of a petition and the issuance of the final order completing the adoption it is known to the court that circumstances are such that the adoptee should not be adopted, the court may dismiss the proceedings. II. Before entering an order to dismi…

The rights of children in foster care exist within the context of the reasonable and prudent parent standard defined in 42 U.S.C. section 675(10). This means that foster parents, caretakers, and department staff must make careful and sensible decisions that maintain the health, s…

I. Any natural person shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor, and any other person shall be guilty of a class B felony, who conducts, operates, or acts as a child day care agency without a license or permit to do so in violation of RSA 170-E:4, I. II. Any person shall be guilty…