A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT Requiring a county department of social services to observe a parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker for whom allegations of child abuse, neglect, or dependency have been substantiated for a minimum number of visits before return of custody to that person.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 7B‑903.1(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	If a juvenile is removed from the home and placed in the custody or placement responsibility of a county department of social services, the director shall not allow unsupervised visitation with or return physical custody of the juvenile to the parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker without a hearing at which the court finds that the juvenile will receive proper care and supervision in a safe home. Before a county department of social services may recommend return of physical custody of the juvenile to the parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker from whom the juvenile was removed, a county department of social services shall first observe that parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker with the juvenile for at least two visits that support a recommendation to return physical custody. Each observation visit shall consist of an observation of not less than one hour with the juvenile, and each observation visit shall be conducted at least seven days apart. A department of social services shall provide documentation of any observation visits that it conducts to the court for its consideration as to whether physical custody should be returned to the parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker from whom the juvenile was removed."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.