reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MS Code § 43-15-9 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 1 - Administration of Child Welfare|§ 43-15-9. Article inapplicable to orphans' homes, etc.

 None of the provisions of this article shall apply to any orphan's home, child caring agency or children's home society under the jurisdiction of and maintained by any fraternal organization, religious or fraternal denomination or nonprofit association or corporation organized and exclusively controlled by any religious denomination.
MS Code § 43-15-11 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 1 - Administration of Child Welfare|§ 43-15-11. Expenditure of county and municipal moneys for support and maintenance of homeless and destitute children

  The board of supervisors of any county and/or the mayor and board of commissioners of any city and/or the mayor and board of aldermen of any municipality in this state are hereby authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to expend out of any moneys in their respective treasuries, to be drawn by warrant thereon, a sum or sums of money not exceeding a total of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) annually per million dollars ($1,000,000.00) of the assessed valuation of the real and personal property thereof for the purpose of providing for the care, support and maintenance of homeless or destitute children of any county or municipality of this state who are supported, cared for, maintained and placed for adoption by any children's home society which operates over and serves the entire State of Mississippi, and which is approved and licensed by the Mississippi Department of Public Welfare.   The authority granted in this section is supplemental of and in addition to all existing authority for the expenditure of funds by such boards of supervisors and municipal governing authorities.
MS Code § 43-15-14 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 1 - Administration of Child Welfare|§ 43-15-14. Emergency placement of children in home care; performance of federal name-based criminal history records check of all adults residing in placement home

  As used in this section, "emergency placement" means those limited instances when the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services is placing a child in the home of private individuals, including relatives, neighbors or friends, as a result of a sudden unavailability of the child's primary caretaker.   During an emergency placement situation when a child must be placed in home care due to the absence of parents or custodians, the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) may request that a criminal justice agency perform a federal name-based criminal history records check of each adult residing in the home. Name-based check results may be provided to the Mississippi Criminal Information Center (MCIC) of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, which shall then provide a complete set of each adult resident's fingerprints to the MCIC central repository for the immediate submission to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date the name search was conducted. The central repository shall either positively identify the fingerprint subject or forward the fingerprints to the FBI within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date the name search was conducted. The child shall be removed from the home immediately if any adult resident fails to provide fingerprints and written permission to perform a federal criminal history records check when requested.   When placement of a child in a home is denied as a result of a name-based criminal history records check of a resident, and the resident contests that denial, each such resident shall, within fifteen (15) calendar days, submit to MDCPS a complete set of the resident's fingerprints with written permission allowing MCIC to forward the fingerprints to the MCIC criminal history records repository for submission to the FBI.
MS Code § 43-15-15 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 1 - Administration of Child Welfare|§ 43-15-15. Registry of children in custody of State Department of Public Welfare and public or private agencies

 The State Department of Public Welfare shall maintain a registry of children whose custody lies with them and private or public agencies licensed by the department. Said registry shall contain classifications of children as:   Temporary custody for evaluation, not to exceed three (3) months;   Temporary custody not to exceed one (1) year with the plan to return custody to the natural parents;   Temporary custody, not to exceed two (2) years, with a plan to free for adoption;   Children freed for adoption;   Children ages fourteen (14) and above who have voluntarily chosen not to be adopted and cannot be returned to their own homes; and   Children who are institutionalized and for whom placement in an adoptive home is not feasible.
MS Code § 43-15-17 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 1 - Administration of Child Welfare|§ 43-15-17. Payments for supportive services; relative care payments

  The Department of Child Protection Services is authorized to make such payments as may be appropriate for supportive services to facilitate either the return of children to their natural parents or their adoption, depending upon and contingent upon the availability of the Department of Child Protection Services securing or having sufficient funds to render this supportive service. Upon court order, the parent(s) shall be responsible for reimbursing the department for any foster care or kinship care payments made on behalf of his or her child, based upon financial ability to pay, until such time as there is a termination of parental rights regarding the child, or the child is adopted.   For those children placed in foster care by the state or county departments of human services, the department shall make monthly payments for the support of these children's room and board, clothing, allowance and personal needs. From and after July 1, 1998, and subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated therefor, the Department of Child Protection Services' foster care and therapeutic care monthly payment schedule in effect before that date shall be increased by One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per month, with that minimum payment not to preclude the department from increasing payments in later years as funds become available. From and after July 1, 1998, in order for foster parents to receive the monthly payments authorized under this subsection (2), the Department of Child Protection Services shall require foster care placements to be licensed as foster care homes and shall require prospective foster parents to satisfactorily complete an appropriate training program that emphasizes the goal of the foster care program to provide stable foster placement until a permanency outcome is achieved.   For a child placed in the care of the child's relative within the third degree by the state or county departments of human services, unless a child is placed in the care of a relative who is exempt from foster care training requirements, the department shall make monthly payments to defray the relative's expense of furnishing room and board. The department's relative care payment shall be in an amount up to one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of the foster care board payment. The department may continue to make those payments to the relative after the department relinquishes legal custody of the child to the relative if the relative has complied with foster care training requirements. Any such payments for relative care shall be subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature.
MS Code § 43-15-19 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 1 - Administration of Child Welfare|§ 43-15-19. Adoption resource exchange registry

  The State Department of Public Welfare shall maintain a Mississippi Adoption Resource Exchange registry, which shall contain a total listing of all children freed for adoption as well as a listing of all persons who wish to adopt children and who are approved by a licensed adoption agency in the State of Mississippi. Said registry shall be distributed to all county welfare directors and licensed adoption agencies within the state and shall be updated at least quarterly. The State Department of Public Welfare shall establish regulations for listing descriptive characteristics while protecting the privacy of the children's names. Listed names shall be removed when adoption placement plans are made for a child or when a person withdraws an application for adoption.   Adoptive parents shall be given the option of having their names placed in the registry. They shall be required to give written authority to the county welfare department to place their names in the registry and said authorization shall be forwarded to the state department of public welfare, division of social services, for approval.
MS Code § 43-15-21 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 1 - Administration of Child Welfare|§ 43-15-21. Penalty for releasing confidential information

 Anyone violating or releasing information of a confidential nature without the approval of the court with jurisdiction or the State Department of Public Welfare upon being found guilty shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of no more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or imprisonment of six (6) months, or both.
MS Code § 43-15-23 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 1 - Administration of Child Welfare|§ 43-15-23. "Placing Out"; defined

  As used in this section the term "placing out" means to arrange for the free care of a child in a family, other than that of the child's parent, stepparent, grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt or legal guardian, for the purpose of adoption or for the purpose of providing care.   No person, agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization, except a child placement agency licensed by the Department of Public Welfare under Section 43-15-5, shall request, receive or accept any compensation or thing of value, directly or indirectly, for placing out of a child.   No person shall pay or give any compensation or thing of value, directly or indirectly, for placing out of a child to any person, agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization except a child placement agency licensed by the Department of Public Welfare.   The provisions of this section shall not be construed to (a) prevent the payment of salaries or other compensation by a child placement agency licensed by the Department of Public Welfare to the officers or employees thereof; (b) prevent the payment of legal fees, which have been approved by the chancery court, to an attorney for services performed in regard to adoption proceedings; (c) prevent the payment of reasonable and actual medical fees or hospital charges for services rendered in connection with the birth or medical treatment of such child to the physician or hospital which rendered the services; or (d) prevent the receipt of such payments by such attorney, physician or hospital.   Any person, agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of illegal placement of children and shall be punished by a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or by imprisonment not more than five (5) years, or both such fine and imprisonment.
MS Code § 43-15-25 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 1 - Administration of Child Welfare|§ 43-15-25. Elected officials as foster parents; payments on behalf of foster child

 An elected official shall not be precluded from serving as a foster parent under this act [Chapter 516, Laws of 1998], and any payments on behalf of or for the benefit of a foster child shall not be considered a contract of interest or compensation or financial income to the elected official in violation of Section 109 of the Mississippi Constitution or any related statutes.
MS Code § 43-15-101 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 3 - Licensing of Family Foster Homes, Child-caring Agencies and Child-placing Agencies|§ 43-15-101. Purpose

 The purpose of this article is to protect the health, safety and well-being of all children in the state who are cared for by family foster homes, residential child-caring agencies and child-placing agencies by providing for the establishment of licensing requirements for such homes and agencies and providing procedures to determine adherence to these requirements.
MS Code § 43-15-105 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 3 - Licensing of Family Foster Homes, Child-caring Agencies and Child-placing Agencies|§ 43-15-105. Division of Family and Children's Services to be licensing authority; duties

  The Division of Family and Children's Services shall be the licensing authority for the department, and is vested with all the powers, duties and responsibilities described in this article. The division shall make and establish rules and regulations regarding:   Approving, extending, denying, suspending and revoking licenses for foster homes, residential child-caring agencies and child-placing agencies;   Conditional licenses, variances from department rules and exclusions;   Basic health and safety standards for licensees; and   Minimum administration and financial requirements for licensees.     The division shall:   Define information that shall be submitted to the division with an application for a license;   Establish guidelines for the administration and maintenance of client and service records, including staff qualifications, staff to client ratios;   Issue licenses in accordance with this article;   Conduct surveys and inspections of licensees and facilities;   Establish and collect licensure fees;   Investigate complaints regarding any licensee or facility;   Have access to all records, correspondence and financial data required to be maintained by a licensee or facility;   Have authority to interview any client, family member of a client, employee or officer of a licensee or facility; and   Have authority to revoke, suspend or extend any license issued by the division.
MS Code § 43-15-107 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 3 - Licensing of Family Foster Homes, Child-caring Agencies and Child-placing Agencies|§ 43-15-107. Licensure requirements

  Except as provided in Section 43-15-111, no person, agency, firm, corporation, association or other entity, acting individually or jointly with any other person or entity, may establish, conduct or maintain foster homes, residential child-caring agencies and child-placing agencies or facility and/or engage in child placing in this state without a valid and current license issued by and under the authority of the division as provided by this article and the rules of the division. Any out-of-state child-placing agency that provides a full range of services, including, but not limited to, adoptions, foster family homes, adoption counseling services or financial aid, in this state must be licensed by the division under this article.   No license issued under this article is assignable or transferable.   A current license shall at all times be posted in each licensee's facility, in a place that is visible and readily accessible to the public.     Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, each license issued under this article expires at midnight (Central Standard Time) twelve (12) months from the date of issuance unless it has been:   Previously revoked by the office; or   Voluntarily returned to the office by the licensee.      1. Previously revoked by the office; or   2. Voluntarily returned to the office by the licensee.    For any child-placing agency located in Mississippi that remains in good standing, the license issued under this article expires at midnight (Central Standard Time) twenty-four (24) months from the date of issuance unless it has been:   Any child-placing agency whose license is governed by this paragraph (b) shall submit the following information to the office annually:    1. A copy of an audit report and IRS Form 990 for the agency;   2. The agency's fee schedule; and   3. The agency's client list.    A license may be renewed upon application and payment of the applicable fee, provided that the licensee meets the license requirements established by this article and the rules and regulations of the division.     Any licensee or facility which is in operation at the time rules are made in accordance with this article shall be given a reasonable time for compliance as determined by the rules of the division.
MS Code § 43-15-109 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 3 - Licensing of Family Foster Homes, Child-caring Agencies and Child-placing Agencies|§ 43-15-109. Information on application for license; information received through reports, complaints, investigations and inspections classified as "public"

  An application for a license under this article shall be made to the division and shall contain information that the division determines is necessary in accordance with established rules.   Information received by the office through reports, complaints, investigations and inspections shall be classified as public in accordance with Title 25, Chapter 61, Mississippi Code of 1972, Mississippi Public Records Act.
MS Code § 43-15-111 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 3 - Licensing of Family Foster Homes, Child-caring Agencies and Child-placing Agencies|§ 43-15-111. Exemptions from licensure requirements

 The provisions of this act do not apply to:   A facility or program owned or operated by an agency of the State of Mississippi or United States government;   A facility or program operated by or under an exclusive contract with the Department of Corrections;   Schools and educational programs and facilities, the primary purpose of which is to provide a regular course of study necessary for advancement to a higher educational level or completion of a prescribed course of study, and which may, incident to such educational purposes, provide boarding facilities to the students of such programs.   Any residential child-caring agency and/or child-placing agency operated or conducted under the auspices of a religious institution and meeting the requirements or conditions of this section shall be exempt from the licensure requirements of this article under the following conditions: (i) such religious institution must have a tax-exempt status as a nonprofit religious institution in accordance with Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, or the real property owned and exclusively occupied by the religious institution must be exempt from location taxation, and (ii) the agency or institution must be in compliance with the requirements of the Child Residential Home Notification Act, Section 43-16-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972, and must not be in violation of Section 43-16-21(c) regarding the abuse and/or neglect of any child served by such home who has been adjudicated by the youth court as an abused and/or neglected child. Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a residential child-caring agency or child-placing agency operated by or conducted under the auspices of a religious institution from obtaining a license pursuant to this article.   Placement of custody under a power of attorney executed under Section 93-31-1 et seq.
MS Code § 43-15-113 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 3 - Licensing of Family Foster Homes, Child-caring Agencies and Child-placing Agencies|§ 43-15-113. Reinstatement of license following revocation

  If a license is revoked, the division may grant a new license after:   Satisfactory evidence is submitted to the division, evidencing that the conditions upon which revocation was based have been corrected; and   Inspection and compliance with all provisions of this article and applicable rules.     The division may only suspend a license for a period of time which does not exceed the current expiration date of that license.   When a license has been suspended, the division may completely or partially restore the suspended license upon a determination that the:   Conditions upon which the suspension was based have been completely or partially corrected; and   Interests of the public will not be jeopardized by restoration of the license.
MS Code § 43-15-115 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 3 - Licensing of Family Foster Homes, Child-caring Agencies and Child-placing Agencies|§ 43-15-115. Inspections of facilities

  The division may, for the purpose of ascertaining compliance with the provisions of this article and its rules and regulations, enter and inspect on a routine basis the facility of a licensee.   Before conducting an inspection under subsection (1), the division shall, after identifying the person in charge:   Give proper identification;   Request to see the applicable license;   Describe the nature and purpose of the inspection; and   If necessary, explain the authority of the division to conduct the inspection and the penalty for refusing to permit the inspection.     In conducting an inspection under subsection (1), the division may, after meeting the requirements of subsection (2):   Inspect the physical facilities;   Inspect records and documents;   Interview directors, employees, clients, family members of clients and others; and   Observe the licensee in operation.     An inspection conducted under subsection (1) shall be during regular business hours and may be announced or unannounced.   The licensee shall make copies of inspection reports available to the public upon request.   The provisions of this section apply to on-site inspections and do not restrict the division from contacting family members, neighbors or other individuals, or from seeking information from other sources to determine compliance with the provisions of this article.
MS Code § 43-15-119 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 43 - Public Welfare|Chapter 15 - Child Welfare|Article 3 - Licensing of Family Foster Homes, Child-caring Agencies and Child-placing Agencies|§ 43-15-119. Disciplinary proceedings

  If the division finds that a violation has occurred under this article or the rules and regulations of the division, it may:   Deny, suspend or revoke a license or place the licensee on probation, if the division discovers that a licensee is not in compliance with the laws, standards or regulations governing its operation, and/or it finds evidence of aiding, abetting or permitting the commission of any illegal act; or   Restrict or prohibit new admissions to the licensee's program or facility, if the division discovers that a licensee is not in compliance with the laws, standards or regulations governing its operation, and/or it finds evidence of aiding, abetting or permitting the commission of any illegal act.     If placed on probation, the agency or licensee shall post a copy of the notice in a conspicuous place as directed by the division and with the agency's or individual's license, and the agency shall notify the custodians of each of the children in its care in writing of the agency's status and the basis for the probation.