Statutes | 41-3-302, MCA | 2018

(1) The department of public health and human services has the primary responsibility to provide the protective services authorized by this chapter and has the authority pursuant to this chapter to take temporary or permanent custody of a child when ordered to do so by the court, including the right to give consent to adoption, or to take temporary custody of a child when consented to by a parent, guardian, or other person having physical or legal custody of the child as part of the parent's, guardian's, or other person's participation in the child abuse and neglect court diversion pilot project provided for in 41-3-305.

(2) The department shall respond to emergency reports of known or suspected child abuse or neglect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

(3)

(a) The department may provide voluntary protective services by entering into a written voluntary protective services agreement with a parent,guardian, or other person having physical or legal custody of the child for the purpose of keeping the child safely in the home or for the purpose of returning the child to the home within a 30-day temporary out-of-home protective placement.

(b) The department shall inform a parent,guardian, or other person having physical or legal custody of a child who is considering entering into a voluntary protective services agreement that the parent, guardian, or other person may have another person of the parent's,guardian's, or other person's choice present whenever the terms of the voluntary protective services agreement are under discussion by the parent,guardian, or other person and the department. Reasonable accommodations must be made regarding the time and place of meetings at which a voluntary protective services agreement is discussed.

(4) A voluntary protective services agreement may include provisions for:

(a) a family group decisionmaking meeting and implementation of safety plans developed during the meeting

(b) a professional evaluation and treatment of the parent, guardian, or other person having physical or legal custody of the child or of the child, or both

(c) a safety plan for the child

(d) in-home services aimed at permitting the child to remain safely in the home

(e) temporary relocation of a parent, guardian, or other person having physical or legal custody of the child in order to permit the child to remain safely in the home

(f) a 30-day temporary out-of-home protective placement or

(g) any other terms or conditions agreed upon by the parties that would allow the child to remain safely in the home or allow the child to safely return to the home within the 30-day period, including referrals to other service providers.

(5) A voluntary protective services agreement is subject to termination by either party at any time. Termination of a voluntary protective services agreement does not preclude the department from filing a petition pursuant to 41-3-422 in any case in which the department determines that there is a risk of harm to a child.

(6) If a voluntary protective services agreement is terminated by a party to the agreement, a child who has been placed in a temporary out-of-home protective placement pursuant to the agreement must be returned to the parent, guardian, or other person having physical or legal custody of the child within 2 working days of termination of the agreement unless an abuse and neglect petition is filed by the department or unless the parent, guardian, or other person having physical or legal custody of the child and the department enter into a written agreement to participate in the child abuse and neglect court diversion pilot project provided for in 41-3-305 and any continuing out-of-home placement of the child does not exceed a period of 180 days from the date the child was placed in the temporary out-of-home protective placement.