Relating to prohibiting the dismissal of certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship involving the Department of Family and Protective Services.

Contracts

• Master Service Agreements (MSA): Review current DFPS MSAs regarding "bed hold" and discharge policies. You must clarify if your agency remains the "placement of record" for liability purposes during the extended 180-day jurisdiction periods, even if the bed is released to another child.
• Legal Retainers: Update engagement letters with outside counsel. Fixed-fee arrangements for DFPS defense must account for the possibility of indefinite extensions due to a child's runaway status, rather than a guaranteed 12-18 month case closure.

Hiring/Training

• Case Management Staff: Train staff on the new "Missing Child" exception to dismissal. They must understand that a child running away no longer "clocks out" the legal case; it extends it.
• Legal Teams: Staffing models must account for continued permanency hearings for absent children. You cannot reallocate legal resources based on projected dismissal dates if the child is missing.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Evidence of "Missing" Status: The law shifts the burden of proof to the status of the child. You must implement a rigorous logging system for "Runaway/Abducted" status. This log will serve as the primary evidentiary exhibit to prevent case dismissal.
• System Logic: Reprogram case management software (CMS). Ensure that a "Missing" status flag overrides any auto-archive or auto-dismissal logic based on the standard one-year deadline.

Fees & Costs

• Unreimbursed Administration: Prepare for an increase in administrative overhead (court reporting, hearing attendance) without corresponding per-diem revenue, as the state generally does not pay daily rates for children not physically present in the facility.