Reasonable Efforts to Preserve and Reunify Families

(a)Except as provided in §13301.2 of this Chapter, Child Protective Services shall make reasonable efforts to preserve and reunify families prior to the placement of a child in foster care, to prevent or eliminate the need for removing the child from the home of the child, and to make it possible for a child to return safely to the home of the child. In determining the reasonable efforts to be made with respect to a child, and in making these reasonable efforts, the health and safety of the child shall be the paramount concern. Reasonable efforts to finalize an alternate permanency plan may be made concurrently with reasonable efforts to reunify the child and family.

(b)“Concurrent planning” shall mean the simultaneous preparation of plans to

(1)assist members of the child’s family in completing a Service Plan pursuant to 19 GCA § 13304 that, when completed successfully will allow the child to return home safely; and

(2)to place the child in a setting that will become the child’s permanent home if such members of the child’s family are unable to successfully complete the Service Plan.