(1) The Department of Human Services may not require any parent or legal guardian to transfer legal custody of a child in order to have the child placed under ORS 418.205 to 418.310, 418.480 to 418.500 and 418.992 to 418.998 in a foster home, group home or institutional child care setting, when the sole reason for the placement is the need to obtain services for the child’s emotional, behavioral or mental disorder or developmental or physical disability. In all such cases, the child shall be placed pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement. When a child is placed pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement, the department shall have responsibility for the child’s placement and care. When a child remains in voluntary placement for more than 180 days, the juvenile court shall make a judicial determination, within the first 180 days of the placement, that the placement is in the best interests of the child. In addition, the juvenile court shall hold a permanency hearing as provided in ORS 419B.476 no later than 14 months after the child’s original voluntary placement, and not less frequently than once every 12 months thereafter during the continuation of the child’s original voluntary placement, to determine the future status of the child.
(2) As used in this section, “voluntary placement agreement” means a binding, written agreement between the department and the parent or legal guardian of a minor child that does not transfer legal custody to the department but that specifies, at a minimum, the legal status of the child and the rights and obligations of the parent or legal guardian, the child and the department while the child is in placement. [1979 c.746 §1; 1993 c.348 §1; 1995 c.79 §213; 1999 c.59 §113; 2001 c.686 §6]
Note: 418.312 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 418 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.
Section: Previous 418.295 418.300 418.302 418.305 418.306 418.307 418.310 418.312 418.315 418.319 418.320 418.325 418.327 418.330 418.335 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008