135.118 - CHILD PROTECTION CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.

        135.118  CHILD PROTECTION CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.
         1.  A child protection center grant program is established in the
      Iowa department of public health in accordance with this section.
      The director of public health shall establish requirements for the
      grant program and shall award grants.  A grant may be used for
      establishment of a new center or for support of an existing center.
         2.  The eligibility requirements for a child protection center
      grant shall include but are not limited to all of the following:
         a.  A grantee must meet or be in the process of meeting the
      standards established by the national children's alliance for
      children's advocacy centers.
         b.  A grantee must have in place an interagency memorandum of
      understanding regarding participation in the operation of the center
      and for coordinating the activities of the government entities that
      respond to cases of child abuse in order to facilitate the
      appropriate disposition of child abuse cases through the juvenile and
      criminal justice systems.  Agencies participating under the
      memorandum must include the following that are operating in the area
      served by the grantee:
         (1)  Department of human services county offices assigned to child
      protection.
         (2)  County and municipal law enforcement agencies.
         (3)  Office of the county attorney.
         (4)  Other government agencies involved with child abuse
      assessments or service provision.
         c.  The interagency memorandum must provide for a cooperative
      team approach to responding to child abuse, reducing the number of
      interviews required of a victim of child abuse, and establishing an
      approach that emphasizes the best interest of the child and that
      provides investigation, assessment, and rehabilitative services.
         d.  As necessary to address serious cases of child abuse such
      as those involving sexual abuse, serious physical abuse, and
      substance abuse, a grantee must be able to involve or consult with
      persons from various professional disciplines who have training and
      expertise in addressing special types of child abuse.  These persons
      may include but are not limited to physicians and other health care
      professionals, mental health professionals, social workers, child
      protection workers, attorneys, juvenile court officers, public health
      workers, child development experts, child educators, and child
      advocates.
         3.  The director shall create a committee to consider grant
      proposals and to make grant recommendations to the director.  The
      committee membership may include but is not limited to
      representatives of the following:  departments of human services,
      justice, and public health, Iowa medical society, Iowa hospital
      association, Iowa nurses association, and an association representing
      social workers.
         4.  Implementation of the grant program is subject to the
      availability of funding for the grant program.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         2001 Acts, ch 166, §1