Sec. 7. (a) The department's assessment, to the extent that is reasonably possible, must include the following:
(1) The nature, extent, and cause of the known or suspected child abuse or neglect.
(2) The identity of the person allegedly responsible for the child abuse or neglect.
(3) The names and conditions of other children in the home.
(4) An evaluation of the parent, guardian, custodian, or person responsible for the care of the child.
(5) The home environment and the relationship of the child to the parent, guardian, or custodian or other persons responsible for the child's care.
(6) All other data considered pertinent.
(b) The assessment may include the following:
(1) A visit to the child's home.
(2) An interview with the subject child:
(A) upon receiving parental consent;
(B) upon receiving a court order; or
(C) if there are exigent circumstances as defined by IC 31-9-2-44.1.
(3) A physical, psychological, or psychiatric examination of any child in the home.
(c) If:
(1) admission to the home, the school, or any other place that the child may be; or
(2) permission of the parent, guardian, custodian, or other persons responsible for the child for the physical, psychological, or psychiatric examination;
under subsection (b) cannot be obtained, the juvenile court, upon good cause shown, shall follow the procedures under IC 31-32-12.
(d) If a custodial parent, a guardian, or a custodian of a child refuses to allow the department to interview the child after the caseworker has attempted to obtain the consent of the custodial parent, guardian, or custodian to interview the child, the department may petition a court to order the custodial parent, guardian, or custodian to make the child available to be interviewed by the caseworker.
(e) If the court finds that:
(1) a custodial parent, a guardian, or a custodian has been informed of the hearing on a petition described under subsection (d); and
(2) the department has made reasonable and unsuccessful efforts to obtain the consent of the custodial parent, guardian, or custodian to interview the child;
the court shall specify in the order the efforts the department made to obtain the consent of the custodial parent, guardian, or custodian and may grant the motion to interview the child, either with or without the custodial parent, guardian, or custodian being present.
(f) If the department requests to interview a child at the child's school, the school, except a nonaccredited nonpublic school that has less than one (1) employee, shall grant access to the department to interview the child alone, if the department employee presents:
(1) their credentials as a department case worker, or other proof of employment with the department, for inspection upon arrival at the school; and
(2) a written statement that the department "has parental consent or a court order, or exigent circumstances exist as defined by IC 31-9-2-44.1 to interview [insert child's name]". The written statement under this subdivision shall not disclose any of the facts of the allegations or evidence and may be transmitted to the school electronically.
(g) If the department provides a written statement under subsection (f)(2), the school shall:
(1) not maintain the written statement in the child's file; and
(2) protect the child and the child's family's confidentiality regarding the written statement and the interview.
(h) If a parent, guardian, or custodian of a child who is the subject of a substantiated investigation of abuse or neglect is an active duty member of the military, the department shall notify the United States Department of Defense Family Advocacy Program of the assessment concerning the child of the active duty member of the military upon request.
[Pre-1997 Recodification Citation: 31-6-11-11(h).]
As added by P.L.1-1997, SEC.16. Amended by P.L.234-2005, SEC.122; P.L.131-2009, SEC.46; P.L.162-2011, SEC.45; P.L.81-2016, SEC.2; P.L.183-2017, SEC.37; P.L.213-2021, SEC.2.