1. (a) The Division of Youth Services adopts the following Youth Bill of Rights, to be posted prominently in English and Spanish in Division of Youth Services facilities and contracted programs, including in:

   1. (1) Dorms;
   2. (2) Classrooms;
   3. (3) Dining areas;
   4. (4) Visitation areas; and
   5. (5) Administrative areas.

2. (b) Youth Bill of Rights.

   1. (1) I have a right to be viewed as a person deserving of dignity and respect, and capable of changing, growing, and becoming positively connected to my community.
   2. (2) I have a right to experience success, to help define success for myself, and to have support connecting previous successes to future goals.
   3. (3) I have a right to fair and equal access to treatment, placement, care, and services that build on my strengths and to participate in the selection of those services.
   4. (4) I have a right to have my culture included as a strength, and services offered which honor and respect my cultural beliefs.
   5. (5) I have a right to a program of developmentally and age-appropriate education that meets the requirements of the law.

   6. (6) I have a right to receive adequate, appropriate, and accessible basic necessities, including:

      1. (A) Food that is nutritious and healthy for me;
      2. (B) Housing and shelter that is clean and safe;
      3. (C) Clothing that is clean, weather-appropriate, and in good condition;
      4. (D) Time set aside every day for sleep, exercise, and personal care and hygiene;
      5. (E) Personal hygiene products and facilities that offer reasonable privacy;
      6. (F) Necessary dental, vision, and medical services, including preventative services and services for chronic conditions; and
      7. (G) Mental health services that address diagnosed emotional, psychiatric, psychological, and developmental needs.

   7. (7) I have the right to feel safe and to be free from:

      1. (A) Abuse or neglect;
      2. (B) Arbitrary or unreasonable punishment or discipline, including the denial of any of the rights listed here as a form of discipline; and
      3. (C) Discrimination or harassment by any person based on my or my family’s:

3. (i) Gender;

   1. (ii) Race;

      1. (iii) Ethnicity;

         1. (iv) National origin;
         2. (v) Skin color;
         3. (vi) Religion;
         4. (vii) Sexual orientation;
         5. (viii) Disability; or
         6. (ix) HIV status.

   2. (8) I have the right to communicate with other people, including regular contact through visits, telephone calls, and mail with:

      1. (A) Parents and guardians;
      2. (B) Biological children;
      3. (C) Attorneys;
      4. (D) Advocates appointed by law, or by myself or my legal guardian; and

      5. (E) Other adults with whom I have a familial or mentoring relationship, including:

         1. (i) Clergy;
         2. (ii) Caseworkers;
         3. (iii) Teachers; and
         4. (iv) Other persons approved by the court or the division.

   3. (9) I have the right to communicate confidentially with:

      1. (A) My attorneys and their staff;
      2. (B) Members of the clergy;
      3. (C) My Division of Children and Family Services caseworker;
      4. (D) The Juvenile Ombudsman; and
      5. (E) Representatives of state-designated protection and advocacy organizations.
   4. (10) I have the right to feel hopeful about my situation, to feel seen as an individual, and to understand every day what I must do to succeed.

Codification Notes: “HIV” means human immunodeficiency virus.