Chapter 260C — Child Protection

15.001 Application of Laws 2005, Chapter 56, Terminology Changes This section says that state agencies must use updated terminology from a 2005 law when they replace printed materials … 260C.0001 This entry is not a numbered substantive section but a chapter note. It states that any transfer of a power or … 260C.001 Title, Intent, and Construction This section states the purpose of Minnesota's child protection laws: to keep children safe, preserve family ties when … 260C.007 Definitions This section defines the key terms used in Minnesota's child protection laws, including what it means for a child to be … 260C.008 Foster Care Sibling Bill of Rights This section creates a Foster Care Sibling Bill of Rights. A child placed in foster care who has a sibling has the right … 260C.050 Expert Assistance This section lets a county court arrange for the physical and mental diagnosis of minors who are believed to have a … 260C.101 Jurisdiction The juvenile court has the sole authority to handle cases involving children who may need protection or services, … 260C.121 Venue This section sets the venue (the proper county) for a child protection case. Venue may be in the county where the child … 260C.125 Case Transfer Process This section governs transferring responsibility for the placement and care of an Indian child in out-of-home placement … 260C.139 Give Life a Chance; Safe Place for Newborns This is Minnesota's safe place for newborns law. A mother, or another person with the mother's permission, may leave a … 260C.141 Petition Any person who knows about a child who may need protection can file a petition with the juvenile court. The petition … 260C.143 Procedure; Habitual Truants, Runaways, Offenders When a peace officer (or an attendance officer for a habitual truant) has probable cause to believe a child needs … 260C.148 Procedure; Domestic Child Abuse This section lets a local welfare agency file an emergency petition on behalf of a child seeking protection from … 260C.150 Diligent Efforts to Identify Parents of a Child; Procedures for Review; Reasonable Efforts This section requires the responsible social services agency to make diligent efforts to identify and locate both … 260C.151 Summons; Notice After a petition is filed alleging a child needs protection or services, this section requires the court to set a … 260C.152 Service of Summons, Notice This section sets rules for notifying parents and other parties about child protection hearings. It requires the court … 260C.154 Failure to Obey Summons or Subpoena; Contempt, Arrest This section sets out what happens when someone who was personally served with a summons or subpoena fails to appear or … 260C.157 Investigation; Physical and Mental Examination This section lets the court, after a petition is filed, order the social services agency or probation officer to … 260C.163 Hearing Parents, children, and guardians all have the right to attend and participate in child protection hearings. Parents have … 260C.165 Certain Out-of-court Statements Admissible This section is a special hearsay exception that lets certain out-of-court statements by a child be used as evidence in … 260C.168 Compliance With Indian Child Welfare Act and Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act This section requires that all provisions of this chapter be interpreted in a way that is consistent with two laws … 260C.171 Records This section governs the confidentiality of juvenile protection records. Most records from child protection cases are … 260C.175 Taking Child Into Custody A child can only be taken into custody with a court order, by a police officer who believes the child is in danger, or … 260C.176 Release or Detention After a child is taken into custody, the parent or guardian must be notified as soon as possible, and the child must … 260C.177 Parental and Law Enforcement Notification This section requires an emergency shelter to attempt to notify a runaway child's parent or legal guardian of the … 260C.178 Emergency Removal Hearing When a child is taken into custody, the court must hold an emergency hearing within 72 hours (not counting weekends and … 260C.181 Place of Temporary Custody; Shelter Care Facility This section governs where a child taken into custody may be held temporarily. A child may be detained for up to 24 … 260C.188 Children in Custody; Responsibility for Medical Care This section sets who pays for medical care when a child is taken into custody and held in a juvenile secure detention … 260C.190 Family-focused Residential Placement This section lets a child welfare agency place a child together with a parent who is receiving treatment in a licensed … 260C.193 Dispositions; General Provisions This section sets general rules that apply when a juvenile court decides on a disposition in a child protection case. … 260C.201 Dispositions; Children in Need of Protection or Services or Neglected and in Foster Care If the court finds that a child needs protection or services, the court can order the child to stay at home with … 260C.202 Court Review of Disposition The court must regularly review its disposition order to decide whether out-of-home placement is still necessary or the … 260C.203 Administrative or Court Review of Placements This section requires that an administrative review of a child's case happen at least every six months while the child … 260C.204 Permanency Progress Review for Children in Foster Care for Six Months No later than six months after a child is placed out of the home, the court must hold a permanency progress hearing to … 260C.205 This section number contains no operative statutory text. The page is a stub that pairs section 260C.205 with section … 260C.206 This section number does not contain operative statutory text. The material was repealed or renumbered, and the body … 260C.207 This section number does not contain operative statutory text. The material was repealed or renumbered by Laws 2008, … 260C.208 Information for Child Placement This section gives an agency responsible for placing a child the authority to gather information it needs to do its job. … 260C.209 Background Checks This section lets the responsible social services agency run criminal-history and child or adult maltreatment background … 260C.212 Children in Placement When a child is placed in foster care, the agency must create a written out-of-home placement plan within 30 days. The … 260C.213 This section number contains no operative statutory text. The page cross-references sections 260C.213 and 260C.223, and … 260C.215 Welfare of Children This section requires child-placing agencies to make special efforts to recruit foster and adoptive families, including … 260C.217 This section number contains no operative statutory text. The page cross-references sections 260C.217 and 260C.139, and … 260C.219 Agency Responsibilities for Parents and Children in Placement This section sets out the agency's responsibilities when a child is in foster care, including making diligent efforts to … 260C.221 Relative Search and Engagement; Placement Consideration When a child is removed from home, the social services agency must make a thorough effort to find and notify the child's … 260C.223 Concurrent Permanency Planning This section requires the state to run a concurrent permanency planning program for children placed out of their home by … 260C.225 County Responsibility for Transitional Services Plans This section makes the county where the court is located responsible for monitoring a child's transitional service plan … 260C.227 Voluntary Foster Care; Required Court Review This section sets the rules for voluntary placement agreements between parents and the county. It limits these … 260C.228 Voluntary Foster Care; Child is Colocated With Parent in Treatment Program This section covers voluntary foster care where a child is placed with a parent who is in a licensed residential … 260C.229 Voluntary Foster Care for Children Over Age 18; Required Court Review This section covers voluntary foster care for young people who choose to stay in or return to foster care after turning … 260C.301 Termination of Parental Rights The court can permanently end a parent's legal rights to their child (termination of parental rights) either voluntarily … 260C.303 Venue This section sets the venue, meaning which county's court handles a proceeding to terminate parental rights. The case … 260C.307 Procedures in Terminating Parental Rights This section sets out the procedures for a termination of parental rights case. Any reputable person who knows of … 260C.312 Disposition; Parental Rights Not Terminated This section covers what happens when the court does NOT terminate parental rights after a hearing. The court may … 260C.317 Termination of Parental Rights; Effect When a court terminates parental rights, the parent loses all legal rights to custody, visitation, and decision-making … 260C.325 Guardian This section governs who becomes a child's guardian after the court terminates parental rights of both parents or the … 260C.328 Change of Guardian; Termination of Guardianship This section lets the juvenile court change or end a guardianship it previously created for a child. On its own motion … 260C.329 Reestablishment of the Legal Parent and Child Relationship This section sets rules for when a parent whose rights have been terminated or who lost custody can file a motion asking … 260C.331 Costs of Care This section explains who pays the costs of foster care and court-ordered services in child protection cases. Costs are … 260C.335 Civil Jurisdiction Over Persons Contributing to Need for Protection or Services; Court Orders This section gives the juvenile court civil jurisdiction over people who contribute to a child's need for protection or … 260C.401 This section number contains no operative statutory text. The body shows only a session law reference (2000 c 260 s 97) … 260C.405 Violation of an Order for Protection This section makes it a misdemeanor to violate an order for protection issued under section 260C.148 or 260C.201, … 260C.411 New Evidence This section lets a child whose status has been adjudicated by a juvenile court, or the child's parent, guardian, … 260C.415 Appeal This section allows an aggrieved person to appeal a final order of the juvenile court that affects a substantial right, … 260C.419 Statewide Office of Appellate Counsel and Training This section creates the Statewide Office of Appellate Counsel and Training as an executive branch agency that provides … 260C.421 Contempt This section makes it contempt of court to knowingly interfere with an order of the juvenile court. It also limits how … 260C.425 Criminal Jurisdiction for Contributing to Need for Protection or Services This section makes it a gross misdemeanor for any person who, by act, word, or omission, encourages, causes, or … 260C.431 This section was repealed by 2008 chapter 361, article 6, section 59, and no longer has any operative statutory text. It … 260C.435 This section was repealed by 2008 chapter 361, article 6, section 59, and no longer has any operative statutory text. It … 260C.441 This section was repealed by 2013 chapter 108, article 17, section 24, and no longer has any operative statutory text. … 260C.4411 Pre-northstar Care for Children Foster Care Program This section continues the pre-Northstar Care for Children foster care program for children placed in family foster care … 260C.4412 Payment for Residential Placements This section governs foster care maintenance payments when a child is placed in a group residential setting, such as a … 260C.4413 Initial Clothing Allowance This section provides an initial clothing allowance for a foster child who is eligible for the pre-Northstar Care for … 260C.446 Distribution of Funds Recovered for Assistance Furnished This section governs how money is divided when any amount is recovered from any source to repay assistance that was … 260C.451 Foster Care Benefits Past Age 18 Young people in foster care can continue receiving foster care services past age 18 and up to age 21 if they cannot … 260C.452 Successful Transition to Adulthood This section helps young people transition to adulthood as they age out of foster care, covering youth who are at least … 260C.456 This section number no longer contains operative statutory text. The page shows only the section number and a session … 260C.501 This section number no longer contains operative statutory text. The page shows only the section number and a … 260C.503 Permanency Proceedings This section sets the deadlines and rules for deciding a foster child's permanent status. The court must begin … 260C.505 Petition This section sets the deadline for filing the petition that begins permanency or termination of parental rights … 260C.507 Admit-deny Hearing This section sets deadlines for the admit-deny hearing on a permanency or termination of parental rights petition. The … 260C.509 Trial This section requires permanency proceedings to move forward promptly. Any trial required under section 260C.163 must … 260C.511 Best Interests of the Child This section defines the "best interests of the child" standard used in permanency and termination cases. It means … 260C.513 Permanency Dispositions When Child Cannot Return Home This section governs permanency placement choices when a child cannot return home. A placement with a relative is … 260C.515 Permanency Disposition Orders This section lists the permanency disposition orders a court must choose from when a child is not returned home at the … 260C.517 Findings and Content of Order for Permanency Disposition This section lists the detailed findings a court must include in any order (other than one terminating parental rights) … 260C.519 Further Court Hearings This section sets out when further court hearings are required after a permanency disposition order has already been … 260C.521 Court Reviews After Permanency Disposition Order This section governs what happens after a permanency disposition order, focusing on a child in the permanent custody of … 260C.601 Adoption of Children Under Guardianship of Commissioner This section opens the rules for adopting children who are under the guardianship of the commissioner, and explains that … 260C.603 Definitions This section defines the terms used in the adoption provisions (sections 260C.601 to 260C.635) for children under the … 260C.605 Reasonable Efforts to Finalize an Adoption This section requires the responsible social services agency to make reasonable efforts to finalize the adoption of a … 260C.607 Review of Progress Toward Adoption This section requires the court to review the responsible social services agency's progress toward finalizing the … 260C.609 Social and Medical History This section requires the responsible social services agency to thoroughly discuss the child's history with the … 260C.611 Adoption Study Required This section requires that an adoption study under section 259.41 approving the placement be completed before any child … 260C.613 Social Services Agency as Commissioner's Agent This section gives the responsible social services agency exclusive authority to decide the adoptive placement of a … 260C.615 Duties of Commissioner This section sets out the duties of the commissioner for any child under the commissioner's guardianship. The … 260C.617 Sibling Placement This section requires the responsible social services agency to make every effort to place siblings together for … 260C.619 Communication and Contact Agreements This section lets an adopting parent enter a written agreement for communication or contact between the adopted child … 260C.621 Jurisdiction and Venue This section sets the jurisdiction and venue for adopting a child under the guardianship of the commissioner. The … 260C.623 Adoption Petition This section governs the petition to adopt a child under the guardianship of the commissioner. Either the responsible … 260C.625 Documents Filed by Social Services Agency This section lists the documents the responsible social services agency must file before an adoption is finalized. These … 260C.627 Notice of Adoption Proceedings This section sets out who must receive notice of adoption proceedings. Notice is not given to any parent whose rights … 260C.629 Finalization Hearing This section covers the finalization hearing for an adoption. A parent whose rights have not been terminated must … 260C.631 Judgment and Decree This section governs the judgment and decree in an adoption case. After taking testimony from the responsible social … 260C.633 Adoption Denied This section applies when a court denies an adoption petition. If the court is not satisfied that the proposed adoption … 260C.635 Effect of Adoption This section explains the legal effect of an adoption. Once adopted, the child becomes the legal child of the adopting … 260C.637 This section contains no operative statutory text. The entry shows only the section number and a session-law reference, … 260C.70 Citation This is the short-title (citation) section for a group of related statutes. It provides that sections 260C.70 to … 260C.702 Requirements for Placements in Qualified Residential Treatment Programs This section lists the six steps that must be in place before the responsible social services agency can place a child … 260C.704 Requirements for the Qualified Individual's Assessment of the Child for Placement in a Qualified Residential Treatment Program This section requires a qualified individual to complete an assessment before a child is placed in a qualified … 260C.706 Family and Permanency Team Requirements This section governs the family and permanency team that a social services agency must assemble when its screening team … 260C.708 Out-of-home Placement Plan for Qualified Residential Treatment Program Placements This section lists what must go into the out-of-home placement plan when an agency places a child in a qualified … 260C.71 Court Approval Requirements This section requires court approval after a social services agency places a child in a qualified residential treatment … 260C.712 Ongoing Reviews and Permanency Hearing Requirements This section requires the social services agency to keep justifying a child's placement in a qualified residential … 260C.714 Review of Extended Qualified Residential Treatment Program Placements This section adds extra approval requirements when a child stays in a qualified residential treatment program for a long … 260C.80 Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson; Board This section creates the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson and the Board of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson. The … 260C.81 Organization of the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson This section governs how the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson is staffed and operated. The ombudsperson may hire … 260C.82 Powers of Foster Youth Ombudsperson; Investigation; Action on Complaints; Recommendations This section sets out the powers of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson to investigate and act on complaints about youth in … 260C.83 Recommendations and Reports to Governor This section governs how the Foster Youth Ombudsperson reports conclusions and recommendations to the governor and … 260D.11 Dispositions; Voluntary Foster Care for Treatment This section gives the court power to act when a child is in voluntary foster care for treatment under Chapter 260D. …