Legislation to help further protect foster children from abusive parents was approved last week by the Tennessee House of Representatives.
House Bill 752 would make it a Class C misdemeanor for the first time a foster parent in a kinship placement allows a child to visit a parent despite a court order prohibiting the contact.
“These are adults and they know that they are not supposed to be there,” said bill sponsor State Rep. Mary Littleton, R-Dickson.
The fine for first-time offenses would be $50. Subsequent violations would result in a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.
There are approximately 121 children in Tennessee who are currently in kinship foster care and have a visitation restriction in place against their parents, according to information from the Department of Children’s Services.
The companion version of the bill is advancing through the Senate.
