Source: http://delcode.delaware.gov/title16/c009/sc02/
Timestamp: 2018-03-22 21:35:40
Document Index: 464302162

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 921', '§ 922', '§ 923', '§ 924', '§ 925', '§ 925', '§ 926', '§ 927', '§ 928', '§ 929', '§ 921', '§ 7', '§ 922', '§ 923', '§ 923', '§ 923', '§ 924', '§ 925', '§ 925', '§ 7', '§ 1', '§ 309', '§ 8563', '§ 924', '§ 929', '§ 7', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 3', '§ 925', '§ 924', '§ 927', '§ 925', '§ 923', '§ 923', '§ 926', '§ 924', '§ 1', '§ 926', '§ 925', '§ 927', '§ 925', '§ 925', '§ 923', '§ 7', '§ 1', '§ 3', '§ 906', '§ 7', '§ 1', '§ 4', '§ 1', '§ 3']

TITLE 16 - CHAPTER 9. ABUSE OF CHILDREN - Subchapter II. Child Protection Registry
§ 921 § 922 § 923 § 924 § 925 § 925A § 926 § 927 § 928 § 929
§ 921 Child Protection Registry; purpose.
The Division shall maintain a Child Protection Registry which contains information about persons who have been substantiated for abuse or neglect as provided in this subchapter or who were substantiated between August 1, 1994, and February 1, 2003. The primary purpose of the Child Protection Registry is to protect children and to ensure the safety of children in child care, health care and public educational facilities. This subchapter must be liberally construed so that these purposes may be realized.
73 Del. Laws, c. 412, § 7.;
§ 922 Entry on the Child Protection Registry.
The Child Protection Registry must indicate "substantiated for abuse" or "substantiated for neglect" and the Child Protection Level as designated in § 923 of this subchapter for any person who:
(1) Based on the same incident of abuse or neglect on which the substantiation proceeding is premised, has been convicted of any criminal offense set out in § 923 of this subchapter or any offense specified in the laws of another state, the United States or any territory of the United States which is the same as or equivalent to any of the offenses set out in § 923 of this title;
(2) Has been found by the Family Court, in a child welfare proceeding brought by the Division or in which the Division is a party, by a preponderance of the evidence to have abused or neglected a child;
(3) Fails to make a timely written request for a hearing as provided in § 924(a)(2) of this title after being given notice by the Division of its intent to substantiate the person for abuse or neglect and enter the person on the Registry;
(4) Is entered on the Registry by order of the Family Court in a proceeding on a Petition for Substantiation as described in § 925 or § 925A of this title; or
(5) Was substantiated for abuse or neglect between August 1, 1994, and February 1, 2003.
73 Del. Laws, c. 412, § 7; 79 Del. Laws, c. 314, § 1.;
A person who is substantiated for abuse or neglect at Child Protection Level I must not be reported in response to a Child Protection Registry check made pursuant to Chapter 3 of Title 31 or Chapter 85 of Title 11 for that incident or conviction. The person is eligible for employment in a child-serving entity as defined in § 309 of Title 31 or health-care facility as defined in § 8563 of Title 11 .
b. Conviction of interference with custody when based on the same incident of abuse or neglect as alleged in the Notice of Intent to Substantiate pursuant to § 924 of this title.
A person who is substantiated for abuse or neglect at Child Protection Level II must be reported for a period of 3 years as "substantiated for abuse" or "substantiated for neglect" in response to a Child Protection Registry check made pursuant to Chapter 85 of Title 11 or Chapter 3 of Title 31. The person must remain on the Registry for a period of 3 years, but the person is eligible for employment in a child-serving entity as defined in Chapter 3 of Title 31, or health-care facility as defined in Chapter 85 of Title 11, while the person is on the Registry at Child Protection Level II; and a prospective employer making a Child Protection Registry check must be so informed. If the person is not substantiated for abuse or neglect while on the Registry, the person on the Registry at Child Protection Level II is automatically removed from the Registry after 3 years and must not be reported in a Child Protection Registry check for that incident or conviction.
A person who is substantiated for abuse or neglect at Child Protection Level III must be reported for a period of 7 years as "substantiated for abuse" or "substantiated for neglect" in response to a Child Protection Registry check made pursuant to Chapter 85 of Title 11 or Chapter 3 of Title 31. The person is ineligible for employment in a child-serving entity as defined in Chapter 3 of Title 31, or health-care facility as defined in Chapter 85 of Title 11, while the person is on the Child Protection Registry at Child Protection Level III. If the person is not substantiated for a different incident of abuse or neglect while on the Registry, the person entered on the Registry at Child Protection Level III is automatically removed from the Registry after 7 years and is, thereafter, eligible for employment in a child care facility, health-care facility or public school, and must not be reported in a Child Protection Registry check for that incident or conviction.
A person who is substantiated for abuse or neglect at Child Protection Level IV must be reported as "substantiated for abuse" or "substantiated for neglect" in response to a Child Protection Registry check made pursuant to Chapter 85 of Title 11 or Chapter 3 of Title 31. The person is ineligible for employment in a child-serving entity as defined in Chapter 3 of Title 31 or health-care facility as defined in Chapter 85 of Title 11. In addition, the person may not be removed from the Registry and must be reported in a Registry check for the incident or conviction, except as provided in § 929(c) of this title.
73 Del. Laws, c. 412, § 7; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 79 Del. Laws, c. 314, § 1; 80 Del. Laws, c. 154, § 3.;
§ 925 Petition for Substantiation.
(a) If a person responds to the Division and requests a hearing in the Family Court before being entered on the Registry, as provided in § 924 of this title, the Division shall, unless the automatic stay provisions of § 927 of this title apply, file in the Family Court no later than 45 days after receipt of the written request, or in the case of a child, no later than 45 days after the notice of intent to substantiate was sent to the child, a Petition for Substantiation which requests that the Court substantiate the abuse or neglect and enter the person on the Child Protection Registry at a Child Protection Level designated by the Court.
(b) The Petition for Substantiation must be filed in the county in which the alleged incident leading to the Petition occurred.
(c) The Family Court may, upon motion by the Division or sua sponte, enter an order that places the person on the Registry at a designated Child Protection Level pending a final order on the Petition for Substantiation.
(d) The Family Court shall appoint counsel for any unrepresented child against whom a Petition for Substantiation has been filed.
§ 925A Grounds for substantiation.
(a) Unless otherwise provided in this subchapter, no person shall be placed on the registry unless the Court finds by a preponderance of the evidence after a hearing on the merits, or accepts the agreement of the parties, that:
(1) The person committed an act of abuse or neglect; and
(2) The act of abuse or neglect was based on the same incident as alleged in the Notice of Intent to Substantiate.
(b) Should the elements of subsection (a) of this section be met, the Court shall also determine by a preponderance of the evidence after a hearing on the merits or accept the agreement of the parties, the risk of future harm the person poses to children and designate the person to the appropriate Child Protection Level set forth in § 923 of this title. If the person is convicted of an enumerated crime when based on the same incident of abuse or neglect as alleged in the Notice of Intent to Substantiate, the person is automatically entered on the Child Protection Registry at the level designated by § 923 of this title.
(c) An order of substantiation may not be stayed pending appeal.
(d) If the Family Court finds that the person has not committed an act of abuse or neglect based on the same incident as alleged in the Notice of Intent to Substantiate, the person may not be entered on the Registry for that incident, and the Division shall indicate in its internal information system that the incident is unsubstantiated.
(e) If a child welfare proceeding is pending in which the Division has requested a finding of abuse or neglect against a party and entry on the Registry for the same incident, the Family Court shall decide the issues of substantiation and entry on the Registry as provided in § 926 of this title without the necessity of a response to the notice of intent to substantiate or a separate Petition for Substantiation.
(f) If the Division fails to file a Petition for Substantiation within 45 days of receipt of a person's written request for a hearing as provided in § 924 of this title and a child welfare proceeding based on the same incident of abuse or neglect is not pending, the person may not be entered on the Child Protection Registry for the incident of abuse or neglect indicated in the notice of intent to substantiate.
79 Del. Laws, c. 314, § 1.;
§ 926 Finding of abuse or neglect in child welfare proceeding; binding effect.
In every child welfare proceeding brought by the Division or in which the Division is a party and in which the Division has requested a finding of abuse or neglect and entry on the Registry, the Family Court shall make findings pursuant to § 925A of this title. The findings of the Family Court are final and binding, and work as issue or claim preclusion for the same incident of abuse or neglect in substantiation proceedings.
§ 927 Automatic stay of substantiation proceedings.
(a) Proceedings under §§ 925 and 925A of this title, including the duty to file a Petition for Substantiation, are automatically stayed in any matter in which a criminal or delinquency proceeding involving the same incident of abuse or neglect is pending. The time to file a Petition for Substantiation under § 925 of this title shall begin upon conclusion of the criminal or delinquency proceeding.
(b) Conviction of a crime involving the same incident of abuse or neglect is final, binding and determinative of the issue of abuse or neglect and of the person's entry on the Registry at the Child Protection Level designated for such offense.
(c) Upon conclusion of a criminal or delinquency proceeding involving the same allegations or facts as those alleged in the incident of abuse or neglect, if the accused is acquitted of the charge or the charge is dismissed and the Division intends to pursue substantiation, the acquittal or dismissal does not automatically work as issue or claim preclusion against a civil finding of abuse or neglect, nor does it prevent the taking of evidence, notwithstanding any other law to the contrary.
(a) The Division shall review each case substantiated for abuse or neglect that was placed on the Central Registry (also known as the Central Child Abuse Registry, the Child Abuse Registry and the Central Abuse Registry) between August 1, 1994, and February 1, 2003, and designate each case to a Child Protection Level in accordance with the regulations developed pursuant to § 923 of this title.
73 Del. Laws, c. 412, § 7; 79 Del. Laws, c. 314, § 1; 80 Del. Laws, c. 154, § 3.;
(e) Removal from the Child Protection Registry means only that the person's name has been removed from the Registry and may no longer be reported to employers pursuant to Chapter 85 of Title 11 or Chapter 3 of Title 31. Notwithstanding removal from the Registry, the person's name and other case information remains in the Division's internal information system as substantiated for all other purposes, including, but not limited to, the Division's use of the information for historical, treatment and investigative purposes, child-care licensing decisions, foster and adoptive parent decisions, reporting to law-enforcement authorities, or any other purpose set forth in § 906(e) of this title.
73 Del. Laws, c. 412, § 7; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 78 Del. Laws, c. 403, § 4; 79 Del. Laws, c. 314, § 1; 80 Del. Laws, c. 154, § 3.;