Effective 28 Aug 2007

210.762. Family support team meetings to be held, when — who may attend — form to be used. — 1. When a child is taken into custody by a juvenile officer or law enforcement official under subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of section 211.031 and initially placed with the division, the division may make a temporary placement and shall arrange for a family support team meeting prior to or within twenty-four hours following the protective custody hearing held under section 211.032. After a child is in the division's custody and a temporary placement has been made, the division shall arrange an additional family support team meeting prior to taking any action relating to the placement of such child; except that, when the welfare of a child in the custody of the division requires an immediate or emergency change of placement, the division may make a temporary placement and shall schedule a family support team meeting within seventy-two hours. The requirement for a family support team meeting shall not apply when the parent has consented in writing to the termination of his or her parental rights in conjunction with a placement in a licensed child-placing agency under subsection 6 of section 453.010.

2. The parents, the legal counsel for the parents, the foster parents, the legal guardian or custodian of the child, the guardian ad litem for the child, and the volunteer advocate, and any designee of the parent that has written authorization shall be notified and invited to participate in all family support team meetings. The family support team meeting may include such other persons whose attendance at the meeting may assist the team in making appropriate decisions in the best interests of the child. If the division finds that it is not in the best interest of a child to be placed with relatives, the division shall make specific findings in the division's report detailing the reasons why the best interests of the child necessitate placement of the child with persons other than relatives.

3. The division shall use the form created in subsection 2 of section 210.147 to be signed upon the conclusion of the meeting pursuant to subsection 1 of this section confirming that all involved parties are aware of the team's decision regarding the custody and placement of the child. Any dissenting views must be recorded and attested to on such form.

4. The case manager shall be responsible for including such form with the case records of the child.

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(L. 2004 H.B. 1453 merged with S.B. 762, A.L. 2007 S.B. 84)