Child services ombudsman must investigate complaints and recommend fixes

The ombudsman’s office must receive, investigate, and try to resolve covered complaints. Complaints may concern a failure to protect a child’s physical or mental health or safety, or to follow specific laws, rules, or written policies. The office may not investigate an employee’s complaint about their employment relationship with the department. A complaint challenging an abuse or neglect finding must wait while administrative review is pending. The office may investigate if that process is not completed or ended within six months after it begins. The office’s complaint role covers department actions or omissions on or after January 11, 2005. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.

The office must carry out specified child protection work and recommend steps when a complaint has merit or an investigation finds a problem. The work includes reviewing child protection policies, informing the public about the office, and referring abuse or neglect reports when appropriate. The office must provide complainants who are not listed as parents, guardians, custodians, court-appointed special advocates, guardians ad litem, or courts with a redacted summary of its findings. The office may not disclose information that the department could not legally reveal to the recipient. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.

The office must employ at least two full-time staff members, and local child protection teams must assist with investigations when the office requests help. The staff assist the ombudsman with receiving, investigating, and trying to resolve complaints described in the law. If a local child protection team took part in the initial investigation, a different team must assist with the ombudsman’s investigation. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.