Sec. 531.156. DESIGNATION OF ADVOCATE. (a) The Department of Aging and Disability Services shall designate a person, including a member of a community-based organization, to serve as a volunteer advocate for a child residing in an institution to assist in developing a permanency plan for the child if:
(1) the child's parent or guardian requests the assistance of an advocate;
(2) the institution in which the child is placed cannot locate the child's parent or guardian; or
(3) the child resides in an institution operated by the department.
(b) The person designated to serve as the child's volunteer advocate under this section may be:
(1) a person selected by the child's parent or guardian, except that the person may not be employed by or under a contract with the institution in which the child resides;
(2) an adult relative of the child; or
(3) a representative of a child advocacy group.
(c) The Department of Aging and Disability Services shall provide to each person designated to serve as a child's volunteer advocate information regarding permanency planning under this subchapter.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 590, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Amended by:
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 2.164, eff. April 2, 2015.
Section: Previous 531.1521 531.153 531.1531 531.1532 531.1533 531.154 531.155 531.156 531.157 531.158 531.159 531.1591 531.160 531.161 531.162 NextLast modified: September 28, 2016