Section 214-RICR-30-00-1.7 - Locating and Engaging Absent ParentsA. The Department acknowledges and reinforces the role and responsibility of the parent as the primary source of support for a child. Department staff must make every effort to identify, locate, and engage the parents of a child in the earliest stages of Department involvement and continue to diligently search for absent parents and potential relative resources.B. As soon as an absent parent is located, the Department makes every effort to engage the parent during all Department processes, including throughout the child protective investigation, assessment, safety planning, service planning and administrative service plan reviews, visitation and Family Court custody and child support enforcement proceedings.C. If a putative father notifies the Department that he may be the father of a child in care, steps are taken to determine paternity. Once paternity is established, the father is included in the assessment and service planning and service delivery processes.214 R.I. Code R. 214-RICR-30-00-1.7
Adopted effective 12/27/2018