Dominique Moody Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 6
SENATE BILL 280
Judiciary Committee Substitute Adopted 4/30/25
Third Edition Engrossed 5/7/25
House Committee Substitute Favorable 6/16/26
House Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 6/17/26
Sixth Edition Engrossed 6/17/26

Short Title: Dominique Moody Act. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 13, 2025
*S280-v-6*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIO US CHANGES TO THE LA WS REGARDING ABUSE, 2
NEGLECT, AND DEPENDENCY CASES FOR JUVENILES. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
5
PART I. CHILD WELFARE CASE ESCALATION TEAM 6
SECTION 1.(a) Article 1 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by 7
adding a new Part to read: 8
"Part 2C. Child Welfare Case Escalation Team. 9
"§ 108A-15.25. Child Welfare Case Escalation Team. 10
(a) Child Welfare Case Escalation Team. – The Division shall main tain a team of 11
representatives that conducts escalation assessments, consistent with this section, of juveniles 12
that have a history of child protective services attention due to a combination of safety and risk 13
factors. The purpose of the team is to do all of the following: 14
(1) Support county departments of social services. 15
(2) Provide an additional level of review to ensure child safety statewide. 16
(3) Provide quality assurance of the child protective services history of a family 17
who has returned to the attention of child protective services, including 18
assessing the quality of prior service intervention and further decisions of 19
services provided to ensure the safety and well -being of juveniles moving 20
forward with the family. 21
(b) Staff. – The team is staffed by the Division, including the assigned manager and 22
escalation specialists. The team shall collaborate and coordinate with (i) regional safety manager, 23
(ii) the director of the county department of social services where the juvenile subject to the 24
escalation notification form resides, and (iii) local law enforcement. 25
"§ 108A-15.26. Definitions. 26
The following definitions apply in this Part: 27
(1) Caretaker. – As defined in G.S. 7B-101. 28
(2) Division. – The Division of Social Services of the Department of Health and 29
Human Services. 30
(3) Extensive child welfare history. – Any one or more of the following: 31
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Page 2 Senate Bill 280-Sixth Edition
a. Involvement of a medically complex juvenile with any prior child 1
welfare history who requires subspecialty care by two or more 2
specialties. 3
b. Receipt of a second report for medical neglect within six months of 4
the current report. 5
c. Involvement of a juvenile that requires devices to sustain their 6
function, such as a tracheostomy or gastric tube, who has had three or 7
more prior cases for concerns of medical neglect. 8
d. Families with five or more child protective services cases with 9
concerns for neglect regardless of case decision or families that have 10
three or more cases, if any of those cases involved concerns for abuse. 11
e. Families that have three or more prior child protective services reports 12
with concerns for domestic violence or active or current drug activity. 13
f. Any report on an active temporary safety provider , kinship care 14
provider, or legal guardian. 15
g. Cases in which there exists a previous child protective services history 16
with the family and involves a near fatality of a juvenile. 17
h. Any case that has had a prior history involving a child fatality as a 18
result of concerns for abuse or neglect where any child currently 19
resides in the home. 20
i. Multiple prior involvements with child welfare services, including 21
in-home services or permanency planning. 22
(4) High-risk home . – A home or individual that meets any of the following 23
criteria: 24
a. Extensive child welfare history. 25
b. Two or more known screened out reports alleging abuse or neglect of 26
any juvenile that indicate a pattern of concern despite prior screening 27
decisions. 28
c. History of prior removal and placement of any juvenile into foster or 29
kinship care. 30
d. Two or more substantiated or unsubstantiated reports that demonstrate 31
a pattern consistent with chronic or habitual neglect or abuse of any 32
juvenile. 33
e. Ongoing medical or mental health neglect, such as repeated reports of 34
failing to address any juvenile's medical or mental health needs, with 35
allegations consistent across multiple reports and time frames. 36
(5) Juvenile. – As defined in G.S. 7B-101. 37
(6) Near fatality. – As defined in G.S. 7B-2902. 38
(7) Team. – The Child Welfare Case Escalation Team. 39
"§ 108A-15.27. Child Welfare Case Escalation Team initial procedure. 40
(a) Criteria. – The director of the county department of social services shall proceed 41
through the process of notification of the Child Welfare Case Escalation Team under subsection 42
(b) of this section if a county department of social services receives a report of abuse or neglect 43
to screen under Article 3 of Subchapter I of Chapter 7B of the General Statutes that involves a 44
juvenile residing or located in a high-risk home. 45
(b) Notification. – If a child welfare report meets the criteria of subsection ( a) of this 46
section, the receiving county department of social services shall complete an escalation 47
notification form within two business days and return via email or automated process to the 48
escalation team. 49
(c) Information Sharing. – The assigned escalation specialist shall coordinate with the 50
county department of social services to obtain access to the entirety of each case record for a 51
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Senate Bill 280-Sixth Edition Page 3
high-risk home to address immediate safety of the juvenile. Upon request, the county department 1
of social services shall provide any records in their possession related to the high-risk home in 2
which the juvenile is placed, including the juvenile's case , and identified in the escalation 3
notification form. Pursuant to G.S. 7B-302, the escalation specialist may also demand, in writing, 4
records in possession of State or local law enforcement. 5
"§ 108A-15.28. Child welfare case escalation assessment. 6
(a) Assessment. – Once the escalation specialist receives all pertinent information and 7
records from the county department of social services under G.S. 108A-15.27, the escalation 8
specialist shall do all of the following: 9
(1) Assess child welfare history, incl uding all reports and findings, interviews 10
conducted and collateral interviews, safety plans developed for the juvenile , 11
and services provided to the family. 12
(2) Identify gaps in services and other areas that impact safety of the juvenile. 13
(3) Review the overall safety planning for the juvenile in the current assessment 14
to determine if there are additional steps required to ensure safety. 15
(4) Create a chronological time line of child protective services intervention to 16
understand the maltreatment factors of concern related to the family to aid in 17
decision making. 18
(b) Collaboration. – The escalation specialist assigned to the case and other team 19
members shall provide necessary technical assistance to the county department of social services 20
throughout the assessment phase of the child protective services case to identify any patterns or 21
contributory factors from past history that may impact a caretaker 's ability to assess and control 22
for present danger threats. The escalation specialist shall do all of the following in collaboration 23
with the county department of social services: 24
(1) Provide guidance to the county regarding the case decision and in identifying 25
services needed for incorporation into the family case plan, taking i nto 26
account the family's history and interventions identified in the chronological 27
time line. 28
(2) Guide current intervention steps and improve practice, any practice concerns 29
from child protective services involvement, and discuss that involvement with 30
the county director of social services and regional safety manager. 31
(c) Response. – The county department of social services shall respond to all unaddressed 32
safety concerns identified through the team's review process immediately or within the same day 33
of notification. 34
(d) Review. – The team and other assigned Division and Department of Health and 35
Human Services staff shall review records to ensure that practices that have deficiencies are 36
corrected and there is communication with county department staff and others to improve child 37
welfare practices at all levels across the county departments of social services." 38
SECTION 1.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 39
Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services (Division), (i) the sum of fiv e hundred 40
fifty thousand dollars ($550,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026 -2027 fiscal year and 41
(ii) the sum of one hundred fifty-seven thousand dollars ($157,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 42
2026-2027 fiscal year for six full -time equivalent p ositions to staff and implement the Child 43
Welfare Case Escalation Team, as established in this section. These full-time equivalent positions 44
shall include human services program consultants and one human services program manager. 45
SECTION 1.(c) The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social 46
Services, shall explore means and resources needed to automate and reduce the burden on the 47
county workforce to alert the Division of escalation reviews as established under this section. 48
When exploring these options, the Division shall consider using the Partnership and Technology 49
Hub for North Carolina to make an automated process for those reviews. 50
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SECTION 1.(d) The Division shall amend protocols and rules as necessary to 1
integrate Child Welfare Case Escalation Team involvement into the entry of a private residence, 2
as provided for under G.S. 7B-302(h) to ensure seamless and coordinated assistance for juveniles 3
at risk of abuse or neglect. 4
5
PART II. CPS EMPLOYE E ASSESSMENT HOME VI SIT AND RECORD 6
MODIFICATIONS 7
SECTION 2.(a) The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social 8
Services, shall adopt rules to amend Subchapter 70A of the North Carolina Administrative Code 9
and update associated Division policies; Child Protective Services Assessments Policy, Protocol, 10
and Guidance; and the Partnership and Technology Hub for North Carolina to require directors 11
of departments of social services to require photographs or video evidence to be gathered during 12
an initial investigative assessment response or initial family assessment response when the 13
assessment is investigating allegations that a child is an abused or neglected juvenile and that 14
those photographs or video evidence be maintained as a permanent part of the case file, consistent 15
with the requirements of Article 3 of Subchapter I of Chapter 7B of the General Statutes. 16
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 7B-302(e) reads as rewritten: 17
"(e) In performing any duties related to the assessment of the report or the provision or 18
arrangement for protective services, the director may consult with any public or private agencies 19
or individuals, including the available State or local law enforcement officers who shall assist in 20
the assessment and evaluation of the seriousness of any report of abuse, neglect, or dependency 21
when requested by the director. The director or the director's representative may make a written 22
demand for any information or reports, whether or not confidential, that may in the director's 23
opinion be relevant to the assessment or provision of protective services. Upon the director's or 24
the director's representative's request and unless protected by the attorney -client privilege, any 25
public or private agency or individual shall provide access to and copies of this confidential 26
information and these records to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations. If a 27
custodian of criminal investigative information or records believes that release of the information 28
will jeopardize the right of the State to prosecute a defendant or the right of a defendant to receive 29
a fair trial or will undermine an ongoing or future investigation, it may seek an order from a court 30
of competent jurisdiction to prevent disclosure of the information. In such an action, the custodian 31
of the records shall have the burden of showing by a preponderance of the evidence evidence, or 32
clear and convincing evidence if the request is from the Child Welfare Case Escalation Team 33
pursuant to a written demand under G.S. 108A-15.27(c), that disclosure of the information in 34
question will jeopardize the right of the State to prosecute a defendant or the right of a defendant 35
to receive a fair trial or will undermine an ongoing or future investigation. Actions brought 36
pursuant to this paragraph shall be set down for immediate hearing, and subsequent proceedings 37
in the actions shall be accorded priority by the trial and appellate courts." 38
39
PART III. RECOGNITION OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT TRAINING 40
SECTION 3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 41
Health and Human Servi ces, Division of Social Services, the sum of one hundred thousand 42
dollars ($100,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year for training for child 43
protective services employees and social workers employed by county departments of social 44
services to recognize abuse and neglect. Once developed, the Division shall ensure that this 45
training is virtually available for future trainings and continuing education for those employees 46
that need it. The Division shall prioritize training specialists prior to dissemination to the entirety 47
of social workers statewide. 48
49
PART IV. LIABILITY 50
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Senate Bill 280-Sixth Edition Page 5
SECTION 4. The North Carolina Department of Justice shall provide 1
recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services 2
on reducing the S tate's liability and placing some liability on the county when a county 3
department of social services fails to follow statutory requirements or the State's policies and 4
procedures regarding the provision of child welfare services. The North Carolina Department of 5
Justice shall provide its recommendations, including any necessary statutory changes to 6
effectuate those recommendations, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and 7
Human Services no later than March 1, 2027. 8
9
PART V. PROCEDURE FOR EXPUNGEMENT FROM RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS 10
LIST 11
SECTION 5.(a) G.S. 7B-200(a) reads as rewritten: 12
"(a) The court has exclusive, original jurisdiction over any case involving a juvenile who 13
is alleged to be abused, neglected, or dependent. This jurisdiction d oes not extend to cases 14
involving adult defendants alleged to be guilty of abuse or neglect. The court also has exclusive 15
original jurisdiction of the following proceedings: 16
… 17
(9) Petitions for judicial review of a director's determination Proceedings 18
involving placement on or expungement from the responsible individuals list 19
under Article 3A of this Chapter." 20
SECTION 5.(b) G.S. 7B-325(b) reads as rewritten: 21
"(b) The petition for expungement shall be filed with the district court of the county in 22
which the abuse or serious neglect report arose. A copy shall be delivered in person or by certified 23
mail, return receipt requested, to the director of the county department of social services of that 24
county. who determined the abuse or serious neglect and identified the individual see king 25
expungement as a responsible individual. The petition for expungement shall contain the name, 26
date of birth, and address of the individu al seeking expungement, the name of the juvenile who 27
was the subject of the determination of abuse or serious neglect, and facts that invoke the 28
jurisdiction of the court." 29
30
PART VI. CLARIFY CHILD WELFARE PROCEDURE 31
SECTION 6.(a) G.S. 7B-900.1(b) reads as rewritten: 32
"(b) Before ordering that a case be transferred to another county, the court shall find that 33
the director of the department of social services in the county in which the action is pending and 34
the director in the county to which transfer is conte mplated have communicated about the case 35
and that: 36
(1) The two directors are in agreement with respect to each county's responsibility 37
for providing financial support for the juvenile and services for the juvenile 38
and the juvenile's family; or 39
(2) The Director of the Division of Social Services or the Director's designee has 40
made that determination pursuant to G.S. 153A-257(d).G.S. 153A-257(d) or 41
appointed a county department of social services to assume management of 42
the case pursuant to G.S. 7B-302.1(c)." 43
SECTION 6.(b) G.S. 7B-901(d) reads as rewritten: 44
"(d) When the court determines that reunification efforts are not required, the reunification 45
is excluded as a permanent plan. The court shall order concurrent a permanent plans plan as soon 46
as possible, a fter providing each party with a reasonable opportunity to prepare and present 47
evidence. evidence at a permanency planning hearing . The court shall schedule a permanency 48
planning hearing within 30 days from the completion of the initial dispositional hearing to 49
address the permanent plans plan in accordance with G.S. 7B‑906.1 and G.S. 7B‑906.2." 50
SECTION 6.(c) G.S. 7B-903.1(c1) reads as rewritten: 51
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"(c1) If juvenile siblings are removed from the home and placed in the nonsecure custody 1
of a county department of social services, the director shall make reasonable efforts to place the 2
juvenile siblings in the same home. The director is not required to make reasonable efforts under 3
this subsection if the director documents that placing the juvenile siblings would be contrary to 4
the safety or well‑being of any of the juvenile siblings. If, after making reasonable efforts, the 5
director is unable to place the juvenile siblings in the same home, the director shall make 6
reasonable efforts to provide frequent sibling visitation and ongoing interaction between the 7
juvenile siblings, unless the director documents that frequent visitation or other ongoing 8
interaction between the juvenile siblings would be contrary to the safety or well‑being of any of 9
the juvenile siblings." 10
SECTION 6.(d) G.S. 7B-906.1 reads as rewritten: 11
"§ 7B‑906.1. Review and permanency planning hearings. 12
… 13
(e) At any permanency planning hearing where the juvenile is not placed with a parent, 14
the court shall additionally consider the following criteria and make written findings regarding 15
those that are relevant: 16
… 17
(5) Whether the county department of social services has since the initial 18
permanency plan planning hearing made reasonable efforts to implement the 19
permanent plan for the juvenile. 20
… 21
(g) At the conclusion of each permanency planning hearing, the court shall make specific 22
findings as to the best permanent plan or plans to achieve a safe, permanent home for the juvenile 23
within a reasonable period of time. 24
… 25
(m) If the court finds that a proceeding to terminate the parental rights of the juvenile's 26
parents is necessary in order to perfect the primary or sole permanent plan for the juvenile, the 27
director of the department of social services shall file a petition to terminate parental rights within 28
60 calendar days from the date of the entry of the order unless the court makes written findings 29
regarding why the petition cannot be filed within 60 days. If the court makes findings to the 30
contrary, the court shall specify the time frame in which any needed petition to terminate parental 31
rights shall be filed. 32
…." 33
SECTION 6.(e) G.S. 7B-906.2(b) reads as rewritten: 34
"(b) At any permanency planning hearing where the court is ordering reunification as a 35
permanent plan, the court shall adopt concurrent permanent plans and shall identify the primary 36
plan and secondary plan. Reunification shall be a primary or secondary plan unless the court 37
relieved the department of making reunification efforts at initia l disposition under 38
G.S. 7B‑901(c), previously made written findings under G.S. 7B‑906.1(d)(3), the permanent plan 39
is or has been achieved, or the court makes written findings that reunification efforts clearly 40
would be unsuccessful or would be inconsistent with the juvenile's health or safety. The finding 41
that reunification efforts clearly would be unsuccessful or inconsistent with the juvenile's health 42
or safety may be made at any permanency planning hearing, and if made, shall eliminate 43
reunification as a plan. When reunification has been eliminated as a permanent plan, concurrent 44
planning is not required. Unless permanence has been achieved, the court shall order the county 45
department of social services to make efforts toward finalizing the primary and s econdary 46
permanent plans or the sole permanent plan and may specify efforts that are reasonable to timely 47
achieve permanence for the juvenile." 48
SECTION 6.(f) G.S. 7B-908(c) reads as rewritten: 49
"(c) The court shall consider at least the following in its review and make written findings 50
regarding the following that are relevant: 51
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(1) The adequacy of the permanency plan or plans developed by the county 1
department of social services or a licensed child‑placing agency for a 2
permanent placement in the juvenile's best interests and the efforts of the 3
department or agency to implement the plan or plans. 4
…." 5
SECTION 6.(g) G.S. 7B-909.2(h) reads as rewritten: 6
"(h) The court shall not enter an order to approve the post‑adoption contact agreement 7
unless the agreement is in writing and executed prior to or as part of the relinquishment. The 8
agreement and order shall not be filed in the juvenile proceeding. When the court approves the 9
post‑adoption contact agreement: 10
… 11
(4) The record of the civil action shall be withheld from public inspection and 12
may only be examined by the parties to the civil action and their attorneys, the 13
minor adoptee, adoptee after the adoptee turns 18 years old or is otherwise 14
emancipated, or by order of the court." 15
SECTION 6.(h) G.S. 7B-909.3 reads as rewritten: 16
"§ 7B -909.3. Modification, enforcement, and termination of a post‑adoption contact 17
agreement and order; no right to appeal; rights of adoptive parents. 18
… 19
(e) A party subject to an order under this section has no right to appeal the order.order 20
which terminat es, modifies, or enforces the post -adoption contact agreement and order. 21
Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, a party to an order under this section has the 22
right to appeal any order finding him or her in contempt of the order as provided for in Chapter 23
5A of the General Statutes. 24
…." 25
26
PART VII. TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS 27
SECTION 7.(a) G.S. 7B-1101.1(b) reads as rewritten: 28
"(b) In addition to the right to appointed counsel under subsection (a) of this section, a 29
guardian ad litem shall be appointed in accordance with G.S. 1A‑1, Rule 17, to represent any 30
parent who is under the age of 18 years and who is not married or otherwise emancipated .16 31
years. On motion of any party or on the court's own motion, the court may appoint a guardian ad 32
litem for a parent who is 16 or 17 years old and who is not married or otherwise emancipated." 33
SECTION 7.(b) G.S. 7B-1103(a) reads as rewritten: 34
"(a) A petition or motion to terminate the parental rights of either or both parents to his, 35
her, or their minor juvenile may only be filed by one or more of the following: 36
… 37
(4) Any county department of social service s, consolidated county human 38
services agency, or licensed child‑placing agency to which the juvenile has 39
been surrendered relinquished for adoption by one of the parents or by the 40
guardian of the person of the juvenile, pursuant to G.S. 48‑3‑701. 41
(4a) Any county department of social services who has received a s afely 42
surrendered infant, pursuant to Article 5A of this Subchapter. 43
…." 44
SECTION 7.(c) G.S. 7B-1112 reads as rewritten: 45
"§ 7B-1112. Effects of termination order. 46
An order terminating the parental rights completely and permanently terminates all rights and 47
obligations of the parent to the juvenile and of the juvenile to the parent arising from the parental 48
relationship, except that the juvenile's right of inheritance from the juvenile's parent shall not 49
terminate until a final order of adoption is issued. The parent is not thereafter entitled to notice 50
of proceedings to adopt the juvenile and may not object thereto or otherwise participate therein: 51
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(1) If the juvenile had been placed in the custody of or released for adoption by 1
one parent to a county department of social services or licensed child‑placing 2
agency and is in the custody of the agency at the time of the filing of the 3
petition or motion, including a petition or motion filed pursuant to 4
G.S. 7B‑1103(a)(6), that agency shall, upon entry of the order terminating 5
parental rights, acquire all of the rights for placement of the juvenile, except 6
as otherwise provided in G.S. 7B‑908(d), G.S. 7B-908(d1), as the agency 7
would have acquired had the parent whose rights are terminated released the 8
juvenile to that agency pursuant to the provisions of Part 7 of Article 3 of 9
Chapter 48 of the General Statutes, including the right to consent to the 10
adoption of the juvenile. 11
…." 12
13
PART VIII. UNDISCIPL INED A ND DELINQUENT JUVENI LES; NONSECURE 14
CUSTODY 15
SECTION 8. G.S. 7B-1905(a) reads as rewritten: 16
"(a) A juvenile meeting the criteria set out in G.S. 7B‑1903(a), may be placed in nonsecure 17
custody with a department of social services or a person designated in the order order. The 18
department of social services with placement responsibility is authorized to place the juvenile for 19
temporary residential placement in:in one of the following: 20
(1) A licensed foster home or a home otherwise authorized by law to provide such 21
care;care. 22
(2) A facility operated by a department of social services; orservices. 23
(2a) A facility licensed to provide care to juveniles. 24
(3) Any other home or facility facility, such as the home of a parent, relative, 25
nonrelative kin, or other person with legal custody of a sibling of the juvenile, 26
approved by the court and designated in the order. 27
The department shall not place a juvenile in any unlicensed facility or any facility that is not 28
licensed to provide care for juveniles without the sanction of the court and so designated in the 29
order prior to such placement being made. 30
In placing a juvenile in nonsecure custody, the court shall first consider whether a relative of 31
the juvenile is willing and able to provide proper care and supervision of the juvenile. If the court 32
finds that the relative is willing and able to provide proper care and supervision, the court shall 33
order placement of the juvenile with the relative unless the court finds that placement with the 34
relative would be contrary to the best interest of the juvenile. Placement of a juvenile outside of 35
this State shall be in accord ance with the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children set 36
forth in Article 38 of this Chapter." 37
38
PART IX. INCLUSION O F EASTERN BAND OF CH EROKEE INDIANS IN CH ILD 39
ADVOCACY CENTERS 40
SECTION 9.(a) G.S. 108A-77.1 reads as rewritten: 41
"§ 108A-77.1. Definitions. 42
The following definitions apply in this Article: 43
… 44
(7) Department. – As defined in G.S. 7B-101(8a).G.S. 7B-101 and the Eastern 45
Band of Cherokee Indians Public Health and Human Services. 46
… 47
(10) Multidisciplinary team. – A group of professionals who represent various 48
disciplines and work collaboratively pursuant to a written protocol to share 49
information on service provision and investigations by law enforcement or a 50
department to inform the investigation and prosecution of child maltreatment 51
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cases and to coordinate services in response to reports made of child 1
maltreatment. The multidisciplinary team works solely on behalf of children 2
served by a Children's Advocacy Center. In addition to the members listed in 3
this subdivision, a multidisciplinar y team may include other professionals 4
involved in the delivery of services to victims of child maltreatment and their 5
appropriate caregivers. Participation in a multidisciplinary team shall not 6
preclude any member from carrying out any mandated responsibility of his or 7
her profession. A Children's Advocacy Center's multidisciplinary team must 8
include, at a minimum, the following professionals: 9
a. A member of participating law enforcement agencies. 10
b. The county district attorney or assistant district attorney.attorney or 11
tribal prosecutor for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. 12
c. A member of the department's child protective services unit. 13
d. A local mental health provider. 14
e. A local health care provider. 15
f. A victim advocate. 16
g. Children's Advocacy Center staff. 17
…." 18
SECTION 9.(b) G.S. 108A-77.4(c) reads as rewritten: 19
"(c) Disclosure of information and records outlined in subsection (b) of this section shall 20
only be released or otherwise made available to the following: 21
(1) The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and county 22
departments. 23
(2) Law enforcement agencies, a prosecuting district attorney, attorney, a tribal 24
prosecutor for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, or the Attorney General. 25
(3) Health care providers or local management entity/managed care organizations 26
providing medical or psychiatric care or services to the child, in the case of 27
medical or mental health records. 28
(4) The North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force. 29
(5) As permitted under G.S. 7B-3100." 30
31
PART X. PREDICTIVE RISK MODELING PILOT PROGRAM 32
SECTION 10.(a) Article 1 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by 33
adding a new Part to read: 34
"Part 2D. Predictive Risk Modeling for Child Welfare. 35
"§ 108A-15.30. Predictive Risk Modeling Pilot Program. 36
(a) Establishment. – The Division of Social Services shall establish a Predictive Risk 37
Modeling Pilot Program (Program) to deploy a State -validated predictive risk model that 38
produces risk stratification tiers for children who are the subject of reports of abu se or neglect. 39
The Program shall be designed to supplement, and not replace, professional judgment by 40
frontline workers, supervisors, and the Child Welfare Case Escalation Team established under 41
Part 2C of this Article. 42
(b) Purpose. – The purpose of the Program is to do all of the following: 43
(1) Provide an additional layer of statewide visibility and consistency around risk 44
recognition across counties. 45
(2) Help frontline staff, supervisors, and escalation teams recognize cumulative 46
patterns of concern that may otherwise remain fragmented across multiple 47
referrals, investigations, and system contacts. 48
(3) Identify cases that warrant enhanced supervisory review, multidisciplinary 49
consultation, or regional escalation before serious harm occurs. 50
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(4) Support more informed screening, investigation, and service -delivery 1
decisions. 2
(c) Model Requirements. – The predictive risk model deployed under the Program shall 3
meet all of the following requirements: 4
(1) Be purpose -built using North Carolina 's own child welfare a dministrative 5
data, trained and validated using the State 's historical records, policies, and 6
practice patterns. 7
(2) Be deployed entirely within the State 's own technical infrastructure and may 8
be integrated directly into the Comprehensive Child Welfare In formation 9
System or the Partnership and Technology Hub for North Carolina. 10
(3) Produce static statistical risk estimates that are fully human -controlled, 11
nonautonomous, and do not learn or adapt in operation without express 12
authorization by the Division. 13
(4) Undergo rigorous validation using non -system outcomes, specifically child 14
fatalities and near fatalities, to assess whether the model meaningfully 15
identifies children at highest risk of serious harm, independent of agency 16
decision making. 17
(5) Be subject to equity and fairness analyses stratified by race and ethnicity to 18
ensure the model performs consistently and does not systematically over - or 19
underestimate risk for particular subpopulations. 20
(d) Prohibitions. – The predictive risk model shall not be used as the sole basis for any of 21
the following: 22
(1) A decision to screen in or screen out a report of abuse or neglect. 23
(2) A decision to substantiate or unsubstantiate a finding of abuse or neglect. 24
(3) A decision to remove a juvenile from the home. 25
(4) A decision to deny services to a family. 26
(e) Initial Deployment Modules. – The Division shall initially deploy the predictive risk 27
model through at least two of the following operational modules: 28
(1) A hotline call screening module that delivers risk tier information and clinical 29
alerts to supervisors at the point of screening decisions. 30
(2) An investigation supervision module that provides supervisors at -a-glance 31
oversight of open investigations organized by risk designation. 32
(3) An open in -home case supervi sion module that provides stratified oversight 33
based on case-weight complexity. 34
(4) A practice quality assurance module that offers quality assurance teams a 35
curated list of cases to oversee based on predictive analytics and business 36
rules. 37
(f) Integration With Escalation Team. – The Division shall integrate outputs from the 38
predictive risk model into the escalation criteria and workflows established under Part 2C of this 39
Article to enhance the identification of cases warranting team activation. 40
(g) Ongoing Monitoring. – The Division or its contracted vendor shall provide 41
continuous monitoring of model performance, validation checks for changes in data or practice, 42
periodic model retraining when warranted, and regular management and oversight reporting. 43
Model performance and calibration shall be periodically reassessed by race and ethnicity. 44
(h) Reporting. – Beginning one year after initial deployment, the Division shall report 45
annually to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services on model 46
performance metrics, equity analyses, the number of cases flagged for enhanced review, and 47
outcomes for flagged cases." 48
SECTION 10.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 49
Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, (i) the sum of two hundred fifty 50
thousand dollars ($250,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year for the 51
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Senate Bill 280-Sixth Edition Page 11
customized build and implementation of a State-validated predictive risk model for child welfare 1
and (ii) the sum of four hundred thirty thousand dollars ($430,000) in recurring funds beginning 2
in the 2027 -2028 fiscal year for ongoing model maintenance and the operation of at least two 3
deployment modules. 4
SECTION 10.(c) The Division shall issue a request for proposals or other wise 5
procure the predictive risk model in accordance with Article 3 of Chapter 143 of the General 6
Statutes. The Division may utilize federal funds, including Title IV -E administrative funds, to 7
offset State costs to the extent permitted under federal law. 8
9
PART XI. PUBLIC COUNTY CHILD SAFETY DASHBOARD 10
SECTION 11.(a) Article 1 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by 11
adding a new section to read: 12
"§ 108A-15.31. Public county child safety dashboard. 13
(a) Dashboard Required. – The Division of Social Services shall develop and maintain a 14
publicly accessible, internet-based county child safety dashboard that reports county-level child 15
safety performance indicators statewide. The dashboard shall be designed for ease of public 16
access and shall allow comparison across counties. 17
(b) Indicators. – The dashboard shall include, at a minimum, the following indicators 18
reported at the county level: 19
(1) Timeliness of child protective services response initiation. 20
(2) Number of reports, investigations, and substantiations. 21
(3) Recurrence of maltreatment within 12 months. 22
(4) Child fatalities and near fatalities with prior child protective services contact. 23
(5) Maltreatment in foster care. 24
(6) Repeat-report household trends. 25
(7) Caseload-to-worker ratios. 26
(c) Update Frequency. – The Division shall update the dashboard at least quarterly. 27
(d) Confidentiality. – The dashboard shall not disclose personally identifiable 28
information of any juvenile, family member, or reporter. All data shall be presented in aggregate 29
at the county level. 30
(e) Time Line. – The Division shall make the dashboard publicly accessible no later than 31
July 1, 2028." 32
SECTION 11.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 33
Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, (i) the sum of two hundred thousand 34
dollars ($200,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year for development of the 35
public county child safety dashboard required by this section and (ii) the sum of seventy -five 36
thousand dollars ($75,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2027-2028 fiscal year for ongoing 37
maintenance and hosting. 38
39
PART XII. ANNUAL LEG ISLATIVE REPORTING O N CHILD WELFARE 40
ESCALATION 41
SECTION 12. Article 1 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by 42
adding a new section to read: 43
"§ 108A-15.32. Annual report on Child Welfare Case Escalation Team. 44
(a) Report Required. – Beginning March 1, 2028, and ann ually thereafter, the Division 45
of Social Services shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health 46
and Human Services and to the Fiscal Research Division on the activities and findings of the 47
Child Welfare Case Escalation Team. 48
(b) Contents. – The report shall include all of the following: 49
(1) The number of escalation notifications received, by county. 50
(2) The criteria triggering escalation in each case. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 12 Senate Bill 280-Sixth Edition
(3) County-level safety trends and recurring operational concerns identified 1
through the team's work. 2
(4) Identified statewide patterns of risk. 3
(5) Intervention activities undertaken and corrective actions recommended or 4
implemented. 5
(6) Outcomes for juveniles involved in escalated cases, including successful 6
interventions that prevented serious injury or death. 7
(7) Recommendations for additional legislative or administrative reforms. 8
(8) If the predictive risk model has been deployed, performance metrics and 9
equity analyses for the model as described in G.S. 108A-15.30(h). 10
(c) Public Availability. – The Division shall publish the report on its publicly accessible 11
website within 30 days of submission to the General Assembly." 12
13
PART XIII. CHILD FATALITY AND NEAR-FATALITY PUBLIC DISCLOSURE 14
SECTION 13.(a) Article 1 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by 15
adding a new section to read: 16
"§ 108A-15.33. Child fatality and near-fatality public disclosure. 17
(a) Definitions. – As used in this section: 18
(1) "Fatality" means the death of a juvenile. 19
(2) "Near fatality" means an act that, as certified by a physician, places a juvenile 20
in serious or critical condition. 21
(b) Public Notification Required. – Within five business days of receiving a report 22
involving a child fatality or near fatality for which there is suspected abuse or neglect, or in which 23
abuse or neglect may have contributed to the child 's death or serious injury, the Division shall 24
provide a preliminary notification to the public on its website as follows: 25
(1) The age, gender, date of death, and cou nty of the child who has suffered a 26
fatality or a near fatality. 27
(2) Whether the county department of social services is investigating the fatality 28
or near fatality for suspected abuse or neglect. 29
(3) Whether there have been reports, or any current or past cases, of abuse or 30
neglect involving the child or the alleged perpetrator. 31
(4) A detailed synopsis of prior reports or cases of abuse or neglect involving the 32
child or the alleged perpetrator and of the actions taken or determinations 33
made by the county department of social services in response to those reports 34
or cases, including for surviving children in the home. 35
(5) When available, relevant investigative findings, including, but not limited to, 36
the manner and cause of death, the nature of injuries in a near fatality, and 37
coordination with and findings from any related law enforcement 38
investigation. 39
(c) Public Case Summary. – Within 90 days after the date of the report for a case 40
involving a fatality or a near fatality, the Division shall provide to the public a summary report 41
on its website that includes all of the following: 42
(1) Any actions taken by the Department in response to the case. 43
(2) Any changes in policies or practices that have been made to address any issues 44
raised in the review of the case. 45
(3) Any recommendations for further changes in policies, practices, rules, or 46
statutes to address those issues. 47
(d) Designated Liaison. – The Division shall appoint a designated employee to have 48
primary responsibility for and serve as the dedicated liaiso n for all matters regarding child 49
fatalities and near fatalities, including , but not limited to , management of the public website 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 280-Sixth Edition Page 13
disclosures required under this section and coordination with the local teams established under 1
G.S. 7B-1406.5. 2
(e) Notification to General Assembly. – The Division shall notify the cochairs of the Joint 3
Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services within 48 hours of any child 4
fatality that is under investigation for suspected abuse or neglect and in which there exists a prior 5
child protective services history with the family. 6
(f) Confidentiality. – Nothing in this section shall be construed to require disclosure of 7
information that would violate the confidentiality provisions of G.S. 7B-2901, 42 U.S.C. § 8
5106a(b)(2)(B)(ix), or any other applicable State or federal law. The Division shall redact any 9
information whose disclosure is prohibited by law. 10
(g) No Private Right of Action. – This section does not create a private right of action 11
against the State, the Division, or any county department of social services." 12
13
PART XIV. SAVINGS AND CONSTRUCTION 14
SECTION 14. Nothing in this act shall be construed to repeal, diminish, or otherwise 15
limit: 16
(1) The confidentiality protections for juvenile records establishe d under Article 17
29 of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7B of the General Statutes. 18
(2) The rights and protections established under G.S. 7B-302 through 19
G.S. 7B-311 regarding the assessment and investigation of reports of abuse or 20
neglect. 21
(3) The provisions of Par t 2A or Part 2B of Article 1 of Chapter 108A of the 22
General Statutes, as enacted or amended by prior sessions of the General 23
Assembly. 24
(4) Any reforms to the child welfare system enacted by the General Assembly 25
during the 2023, 2024, or 2025 sessions, incl uding, but not limited to, 26
provisions relating to central intake, structured decision making, supervisor 27
qualifications, caseworker training requirements, or mandatory reporter 28
protections. 29
30
PART XV. EFFECTIVE DATE 31
SECTION 15. Subsection (a) of Section 1, subsection (b) of Section 2, Part VI, 32
subsection (a) of Section 10, and subsection (a) of Section 11 of this act become effective October 33
1, 2026. Subsection (b) of Section 1, Part III, subsection (b) of Section 10, and subsection (b) of 34
Section 11 of thi s act become effective July 1, 2026. Part XIII of this act becomes effective 35
January 1, 2027. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law. 36