Measures to Prevent Youth from Running Away

The Timothy Montoya task force (task force):

• Analyzed the root causes of why a child or youth runs away from an out-of-home placement;
• Developed consistent, prompt and effective responses to recover a missing child or youth;
• Addressed the safety and well-being of a child or youth upon the child's or youth's return to the out-of-home placement; and
• Made recommendations.

The bill implements the task force recommendations that focus on preventing a child or youth from running away from a residential child care facility (facility).

The bill requires the office of the child protection ombudsman (office) to contract with one or more institutions of higher education or third-party consultants (contractors), on or before July 1, 2025, to:

• Identify and adapt a runaway risk assessment tool to predict a child's or youth's risk for running away from a facility;
• Begin the process of developing a statewide data platform to collect and store data regarding children or youth who run away from facilities across the state; and
• Conduct an inventory survey of the physical infrastructure of facilities statewide to assess the physical infrastructure needs of the facilities.

On or before June 1, 2026, the contractors shall submit reports to the office summarizing the progress and development of the runaway risk assessment tool, the statewide data platform, and the inventory survey. On or before July 1, 2026, the office shall submit a report to the health and human services committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or their successor committees, summarizing the reports of the contractors.

The bill requires each facility, on or before July 1, 2026, to develop a policy that outlines how the facility responds to a child or youth who threatens or attempts to run away from care. The policy must include whether the facility uses physical restraints. Each facility shall provide a copy of the policy to parents, legal guardians, or custodians during the child's or youth's intake at the facility.

When a facility discovers that a child or youth is missing from its care, the facility shall notify the child's or youth's parent, legal guardian, or custodian within 24 hours after the discovery of the missing child or youth. If the facility cannot make initial contact with the child's or youth's parent, legal guardian, or custodian, the facility must make repeated efforts to notify the child's or youth's parent, legal guardian, or custodian.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)