Section 42-73-1. – Establishment.

§ 42-73-1. Establishment. There is created the child advocate office. History of Section.P.L. 1979, ch. 248, § 2.

Section 42-73-10. – Confidentiality.

§ 42-73-10. Confidentiality. All records of the child advocate pertaining to the care and treatment of a child shall be confidential. Information contained in those records may not be disclosed publicly in any manner that would identify individuals, but records shall be available to persons approved, upon application for good cause, by the family court. […]

Section 42-73-11. – Indemnification from liability.

§ 42-73-11. Indemnification from liability. The state of Rhode Island shall protect and hold harmless any attorney, director, investigator, social worker, or other person employed by the office of the child advocate and/or any volunteer appointed by the child advocate, from financial loss and expense, including legal fees and costs, if any, arising out of […]

Section 42-73-2. – Appointment and term.

§ 42-73-2. Appointment and term. The governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint a member of the bar of this state who has been admitted to practice law for at least three (3) years to fill the office of the child advocate, who shall be a person qualified by training and […]

Section 42-73-2.1. – Advisory committee established.

§ 42-73-2.1. Advisory committee established. There is hereby established an advisory committee to the office of the child advocate established under § 42-73-1. The advisory committee shall consist of nine (9) members, one attorney appointed by the Rhode Island Bar Association; one judge or magistrate of the family court appointed by the chief judge of […]

Section 42-73-2.2. – Duties.

§ 42-73-2.2. Duties. It shall be the duty of the advisory committee to: (a) Provide advice and support to the child advocate related to the duties described in § 42-73-7. The committee’s duties include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) Establish a regular meeting schedule and form subcommittees as may be appropriate; (2) […]

Section 42-73-2.3. – Child fatality reviews.

§ 42-73-2.3. Child fatality reviews. (a) The department of children, youth and families shall notify the office of the child advocate verbally and electronically within forty-eight (48) hours of a confirmed fatality or near fatality of a child who is the subject of a DCYF case and shall provide the office of the child advocate […]

Section 42-73-3. – Staff.

§ 42-73-3. Staff. The child advocate may appoint those assistants that may be deemed necessary whose powers and duties shall be similar to those imposed upon the child advocate by law and any other staff as is deemed necessary. The duties of the assistants and other staff members shall be performed under and by the […]

Section 42-73-4. – Appropriation for expenses.

§ 42-73-4. Appropriation for expenses. The general assembly shall annually appropriate those sums it may deem necessary for the payment of the salaries of the staff and for the payment of office expenses and other actual expenses incurred by the child advocate in the performance of his or her duties; and the controller is authorized […]

Section 42-73-5. – Independence.

§ 42-73-5. Independence. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this or any other chapter to the contrary, the child advocate acts independently of the department of children, youth, and families in the performance of his or her duties. History of Section.P.L. 1979, ch. 248, § 2.

Section 42-73-6. – Annual report.

§ 42-73-6. Annual report. The child advocate shall annually submit, to the governor and the general assembly, a detailed report analyzing the work of his or her office and any recommendations resulting therefrom, including non-identifying child-fatality and near-fatality information and recommendations. The report shall be posted on the office of the child advocate’s website. History […]

Section 42-73-7. – Duties of advocate.

§ 42-73-7. Duties of advocate. The child advocate shall perform the following duties: (1) Insure that each child in protective care, custody or in treatment, and in proper cases, others interested in the child’s welfare is apprised of his or her rights under this chapter and chapter 72 of this title; (2) Review periodically the […]

Section 42-73-8. – Access to information.

§ 42-73-8. Access to information. The child advocate shall have access to the following information: (1) The names of all children in protective services, treatment, or other programs under the jurisdiction of the department of children, youth, and families, and their location if in custody; (2) All written reports of child abuse and neglect; and […]

Section 42-73-9. – Rights and powers of advocate.

§ 42-73-9. Rights and powers of advocate. The child advocate shall have the following rights and powers: (1) To communicate privately, by mail or orally, with any child in treatment, or under protective services; (2) To have access, including the right to inspect, copy and/or subpoena records held by the clerk of the family court, […]

Section 42-73-9.1. – Additional powers — Criminal injuries to children.

§ 42-73-9.1. Additional powers — Criminal injuries to children. (a) In addition to the powers set forth in § 42-73-9, the child advocate, or his or her designee, shall have the power to commence in the superior court a civil action against the state pursuant to the provisions of chapter 25 of title 12 on […]