A new bill in Guam aims to set clear boundaries for how long kids can stay in foster care and when parental rights need to be terminated.
Daily Pacific News reports Senator Mary Camacho Torres saying she introduced Bill 299 with the 604 kids in foster care in mind.
The senator said 1,600 cases were referred to Child Protective Services, or CPS, over the last year.
She said that is more than four children every day who were either neglected, sexually assaulted or physically abused in homes.
The bill would relieve CPS of the duty to reunify children with a parent or guardian who has done one or more actions listed in the bill.
These include torturing, abusing or sexually abusing the child, being convicted of murder, manslaughter or felony assault of another one of their children, and being found to have abused their child within one year after they were returned home from foster care.
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The court would also be required to work with CPS to find a permanent home for the child within 30 days after it is deemed that reunification isn't required, or the child has spent 15 of the last 22 months in foster care.
Crystal Gooden, social supervisor for the Bureau of Social Services Administration, said her department was in favour of the legislation but would need additional resources to keep up with the timelines to permanently place children.
