HB 2508 -- Preferential Placement of Children with Grandparents

Sponsor:  Ruestman

This bill requires the juvenile court or the Children's Division
within the Department of Social Services to make a good faith
attempt to contact and place a child needing emergency placement
with a grandparent when the child must be removed from his or her
primary caretaker's home.  If placed with a grandparent, the
emergency placement arrangement will remain in effect until a
court conducts a hearing on the matter.  The grandparent must
comply with the emergency background check requirements.  If
contact with a grandparent cannot be made within three hours of
the division determining an emergency placement is necessary, the
child may be placed in a foster home.  If placed in a foster
home, the division must continue to attempt to contact the
child's grandparents during the initial 24-hour period after an
emergency placement was deemed necessary.

When a court determines that a child must be placed in a foster
home, the division must make a good faith attempt to contact the
grandparents of the child to determine if they wish to be
considered and given first consideration for foster home
placement of the child.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:12 pm