N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 18 § 444.7

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 18, May 1, 2024

Section 444.7 - Rights of Children

Children cared for in a host family home must be afforded, at minimum, the following rights:

(a) Every child has the right to enjoy freedom of thought, conscience, cultural and ethnic practice, and religion.

(b) Every child has the right to receive adequate and appropriate food, clothing, and housing.

(c) Every child has the right to live in clean, safe surroundings.

(d) Every child has the right to participate in an educational program in accordance with existing law.

(e) Every child has the right to communicate with others outside the host family home, including but not limited to a parent, physician, attorney, or therapist the child may have.

(f)Mail/Email

(1) A child cared for in a host family home has an unrestricted right to send or receive mail/email without prior censorship or prior reading.

(2) Nothing contained in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this subdivision shall be construed to permit a child's use of mail/email for fraudulent, illegal, or illicit purposes.

(g)Telephone

(1) A child cared for in a host family home shall have the right to receive or refuse any and all calls made to the child during reasonable hours to be set by the host family home.

(2) A child cared for in a host family home shall be allowed to call any person of the child's choosing; however, the time, duration, and cost of such calls may be restricted by the limits of the host family home.

(3) Nothing in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this subdivision shall be construed or permit the child's use of the telephone for fraudulent, illegal, or illicit purposes.

(4) Except at the child's request, host family home providers shall not listen in on a child's telephone conversation. An area that affords the child a reasonable degree of privacy shall be provided for the purpose of receiving and initiating calls, whenever physically possible to provide such an area.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 18 § 444.7

Adopted New York State Register December 8, 2021/Volume XLIII, Issue 49, eff. 12/8/2021