HF 590 – Child Abuse Differential Response
FLOOR ACTION:
HF 590, as amended on the floor, creates a differential response or second path for the Department of Human Services (DHS) to handle child abuse allegations. The bill adds a “family assessment” in lieu of a child abuse assessment for child abuse reports stemming from the denial of critical care and that do not allege imminent danger, injury or death to the child. The family assessment will include a safety assessment, risk assessment and home evaluation just like a child abuse assessment, but will include the DHS arranging services for families to remedy the situation(s) that led to the child abuse allegation. A family assessment will not result in adding the name of the alleged child abuser to the child abuse registry unless a crime was found to have been committed. Additionally, the bill changes the amount of time that a person’s name is placed on the child abuse registry from 10 years to five years for founded child abuse allegations, except that instances that resulted in death or serious injury or relating to drug abuse will remain at 10 years. [5/7: 50-0]