(1) The time the child has been in foster care begins when the child is considered to have entered foster care as specified in section 4038, subsection 7-A, paragraph A 4038-B, subsection 1, paragraph B;

(2) When a child experiences multiple exits from and entries into foster care during the 22-month period, all periods in foster care must be accumulated; and

(3) The time in foster care does not include trial home visits or times during which the child is a runaway.

This paragraph does not apply if the department is required to undertake reunification efforts and the department has not provided to the family of the child such services as the court determines to be necessary for the safe return of the child to the child's home consistent with the time period in the case plan;

SUMMARY

The purpose of this bill is to add the concept of permanent legal guardianship to the dispositional alternatives available to District Courts under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22. This concept would allow relatives and other parties to be awarded permanent legal guardianship of children subject to child protection orders and actions and allow payment of a guardianship subsidy for special needs children who have been in the custody of the State or for Native American children in the custody of the tribe who move into a permanent legal guardianship status.