2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 19-H - Runaway and Homeless Youth Act of Nineteen Hundred Seventy-Eight › 532-B - Powers and Duties of Runaway and Homeless Youth Crisis Services Programs.

§ 532-b. Powers  and  duties  of  runaway  and  homeless  youth crisis
services programs.  1.  Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of  law,
pursuant  to regulations of the office of children and family services a
runaway and homeless youth crisis services program is authorized to  and
shall:
(a)  provide  assistance  to any runaway or homeless youth or youth in
need of crisis intervention or  respite  services  as  defined  in  this
article;
(b) attempt to determine the cause for the youth's runaway or homeless
status;
(c)  explain  to the runaway or homeless youth his or her legal rights
and options of service or other assistance available to the youth;
(d) work towards reuniting such  youth  with  his  or  her  parent  or
guardian  as soon as practicable in accordance with section five hundred
thirty-two-c of this article;
(e) assist in arranging for necessary services for runaway or homeless
youth, and where appropriate, their families, including but not  limited
to  food,  shelter, clothing, medical care, education and individual and
family counseling. Where the runaway and homeless youth crisis  services
program  concludes that such runaway or homeless youth would be eligible
for assistance, care or services from a local social services  district,
it  shall assist the youth in securing such assistance, care or services
as the youth is entitled to;
(f) immediately report to the  statewide  central  register  of  child
abuse  and  maltreatment  or  vulnerable  persons'  central register, as
appropriate, where it has reasonable cause to suspect that  the  runaway
or  homeless  youth  has  been  abused  or  neglected or when such youth
maintains such to be the case;
(g) contact the appropriate local social services district  if  it  is
believed  that  the  youth  may  be  a  destitute child, as such term is
defined in section one thousand ninety-two of the family court act.  The
office  of  children  and  family  services  shall  provide  appropriate
guidance to the runaway and homeless youth crisis  services  program  on
how to accurately identify a youth that may be a destitute child; and
(h)  provide  information  to  eligible  youth  about their ability to
re-enter foster care in accordance with  article  ten-B  of  the  family
court  act,  and  in  appropriate cases, refer any such youth who may be
interested in re-entering foster care to  the  applicable  local  social
services  district.  The  office  of  children and family services shall
provide the runaway and homeless youth crisis services program with  the
appropriate  educational  materials  to give to eligible youth regarding
their ability to re-enter foster care. The office of children and family
services shall also provide appropriate  guidance  to  the  runaway  and
homeless  youth  crisis  services  program on how to accurately identify
youth that may be eligible to re-enter foster care and how to refer such
youth to the applicable local social services district if appropriate.
2. (a) A runaway youth may remain in a certified  residential  runaway
and  homeless  youth  crisis services program on a voluntary basis for a
period not to exceed thirty days, or for a youth age fourteen  or  older
for  a  period  up  to  sixty  days  when  authorized  in the applicable
municipality's approved comprehensive plan, from the date  of  admission
where  the  filing  of  a petition pursuant to article ten of the family
court act is not contemplated, in order that arrangements  can  be  made
for  the  runaway youth's return home, alternative residential placement
pursuant to section three hundred ninety-eight of  the  social  services
law, or any other suitable plan.
(b)  If  the runaway youth and the parent, guardian or custodian agree
in writing, the runaway youth may remain in such  program  up  to  sixty

days, or up to one hundred twenty days when authorized in the applicable
municipality's approved county comprehensive plan, without the filing of
a  petition  pursuant  to  article ten of the family court act, provided
that  in  any  such  case  the  facility  shall  first have obtained the
approval of the applicable municipal runaway and homeless youth services
coordinator, who shall notify the municipality's youth bureau of his  or
her  approval  together  with  a  statement  as  to  the reason why such
additional residential stay  is  necessary  and  a  description  of  the
efforts  being made to find suitable alternative living arrangements for
such youth.
(c) A runaway youth may remain in a certified residential runaway  and
homeless  youth  crisis  services  program  beyond the applicable period
authorized  by  paragraph  (a)  or  (b)  of  this  subdivision,  if  the
municipality  has notified the office of children and family services in
accordance with clause (iv) of subparagraph  three  of  paragraph  a  of
subdivision two of section four hundred twenty of this chapter.