1. (1) A prehearing conference must be held within 5 working days of a child's removal and before an emergency protective services hearing held by the court pursuant to 41-3-306.

2. (2) A prehearing conference must include the following parties:

   1. (a) the parents, parent, guardian, or other person having physical or legal custody of the child, if the parents, parent, guardian, or other person chooses to participate;
   2. (b) the legal counsel of the participant provided for in subsection (2)(a);
   3. (c) the child's legal counsel;
   4. (d) the county attorney's office;
   5. (e) the child protection investigator; and
   6. (f) the child reunification specialist.
3. (3) To the greatest degree possible using available funding, the meetings must be conducted by an independent and trained facilitator.

4. (4) At a minimum, the meetings must involve discussion of:

   1. (a) the child's current placement and options for continued placement if the child remains out of the home;
   2. (b) whether other options exist for an in-home safety plan or resource that may allow the child to remain in the home;
   3. (c) parenting time schedules; and
   4. (d) treatment services for the family.

History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 529, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 711, L. 2023; amd. Sec. 32, Ch. 716, L. 2023; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 57, L. 2025; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 63, L. 2025; amd. Sec. 13, Ch. 153, L. 2025.