8-828. Family advocacy office; duties;
program termination


A. The family advocacy office is established in the department of economic security
pursuant to rules adopted by the department. The director shall administer the office and
shall provide staff for the office.


B. The office shall:


1. Respond to complaints regarding individual cases that involve the child welfare
system.


2. On request immediately review the removal of a child before a petition for
dependency is filed pursuant to this chapter.


3. Assemble a multidisciplinary case consultation team to assist the office in its
review of complaints. The team shall include public members who are appointed by the
director and who are not department employees and who do not have a contract with the
department. Public members are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for
reimbursement of expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article 2.


4. Establish a system to track all complaints it receives.


5. Based on the information it receives pursuant to paragraph 4, submit a monthly
report to the director on the following:


(a) The number, type and source of complaints received by each district office.


(b) The result of its investigations of each complaint.


(c) Any problems with the child welfare system that the family advocacy office has
identified.


C. The program established pursuant to this section ends on July 1, 2005 pursuant
to section 41-3102.