1. (a) In the case of a young adult, between the ages of eighteen (18) and twenty-one (21), who has executed a voluntary placement agreement for continued care and placement responsibility from the department and for legal supervision of the court, the permanency plan shall document the reasonable efforts made by the department and the young adult to finalize a permanency plan that addresses the goal of preparing the young adult for independence and successful adulthood. This includes, but is not limited to, housing assistance to obtain supervised independent living arrangements, shared living arrangements or extended foster and kinship care; education, vocational assessment, job training and employment plan needed to transition the young adult to self-sufficiency; assisting the young adult in obtaining educational goals; a job, employment/vocational skills; any other services and supports that will assist the young adult in accessing available services; applying for public benefits; acquiring important documents, such as ID card, driver’s license, birth certificate, social security card, health insurance cards, medical records; attending to physical and mental health needs; maintaining relationships with individuals who are important to them and acquiring information about siblings and other maternal and paternal relatives.

2. (b) Initial judicial determination — The department must petition the court to make a determination whether remaining in foster care is in the young adult’s best interests.

   The court must make a determination within one hundred eighty (180) days of the signing of the voluntary placement agreement whether remaining in foster care is in the young adult’s best interest.

3. (c) The court shall conduct a permanency hearing within one year after the young adult and the department execute a voluntary placement agreement and annually thereafter. At the permanency hearing, the department shall present a written case plan to the court for approval that details the necessary services, care and placement the young adult shall receive to assist the transition to independence and successful adulthood.

   The court must determine whether the department has made reasonable efforts to finalize a permanency goal of preparing the young adult for successful transition to independence.

4. (d) Notice of the court hearings shall be served by the department upon all parties in interest in accordance with the rules of child welfare procedure of the family court.

5. (e) Periodic formal reviews, shall be held not less than once every one hundred eighty (180) days to assess the progress and case plan of any young adult under the court’s legal supervision and under the care and placement responsibility of DCYF pursuant to a voluntary agreement for extension of care.

   The permanency plan shall be reviewed by the court at least once every twelve (12) months at a permanency hearing and by the department in an administrative review within one hundred eighty (180) days after the permanency hearing. The young adult is expected to participate in case planning and periodic reviews.

History of Section.
P.L. 2018, ch. 47, art. 15, § 3.