Alabama Child Protection Act

The act governs court proceedings arising from allegations that a child has been abused or neglected, carrying a case from a preliminary hearing through adjudication to a dispositional order and any later modification. It sets the procedural framework for those proceedings: appointment of attorneys and guardians ad litem, subpoenas, evidence and burden of proof, closed hearings and confidential records, and authority to order medical examinations, alcohol and drug testing, and protective orders. It also governs what follows when a child is placed outside the home, addressing placement standards and preferences, keeping siblings together, notice and transition planning with schools, periodic review and permanency hearings, the standard for returning a child home, and when a petition to terminate parental rights must be filed.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.