| Summary |
The Timothy Montoya task force (task force):
•
Analyzed the root causes of why a child or youth runs away
from an out-of-home placement;
•
Developed consistent, prompt and effective responses to
recover a missing child or youth;
•
Addressed the safety and well-being of a child or youth
upon the child's or youth's return to the out-of-home
placement; and
•
Made recommendations.
The bill implements the task force recommendations that focus on
preventing a child or youth from running away from a residential child
care facility (facility).
The bill requires the office of the child protection ombudsman
(office) to contract with one or more institutions of higher education or
third-party consultants (contractors), on or before July 1, 2025, to:
•
Identify and adapt a runaway risk assessment tool to predict
a child's or youth's risk for running away from a facility;
•
Begin the process of developing a statewide data platform
to collect and store data regarding children or youth who
run away from facilities across the state; and
•
Conduct an inventory survey of the physical infrastructure
of facilities statewide to assess the physical infrastructure
needs of the facilities.
On or before June 1, 2026, the contractors shall submit reports to
the office summarizing the progress and development of the runaway risk
assessment tool, the statewide data platform, and the inventory survey. On
or before July 1, 2026, the office shall submit a report to the health and
human services committees of the house of representatives and the senate,
or their successor committees, summarizing the reports of the contractors.
The bill requires each facility, on or before July 1, 2026, to
develop a policy that outlines how the facility responds to a child or youth
who threatens or attempts to run away from care. The policy must include
whether the facility uses physical restraints. Each facility shall provide a
copy of the policy to parents, legal guardians, or custodians during the
child's or youth's intake at the facility.
When a facility discovers that a child or youth is missing from its
care, the facility shall notify the child's or youth's parent, legal guardian,
or custodian within 24 hours after the discovery of the missing child or
youth. If the facility cannot make initial contact with the child's or youth's
parent, legal guardian, or custodian, the facility must make repeated
efforts to notify the child's or youth's parent, legal guardian, or custodian.
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