15-11-64.1. Georgia Juvenile Data Exchange; data elements; accessibility; annual report.

Each juvenile court shall collect data on all cases in which a child alleged or adjudicated to be a dependent child is placed in foster care. Data collected shall be electronically submitted by the clerk of the juvenile court, or the clerk of the superior court performing the functions of the clerk of the juvenile court, in a form and format specified by the Administrative Office of the Courts and incorporated into the Georgia Juvenile Data Exchange or any such successor centralized data base maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts.#

Each juvenile court shall collect information as data elements for submission to the Administrative Office of the Courts to be incorporated into the Georgia Juvenile Data Exchange. Such information shall include, but is not limited to:#

1. (1)

   Date upon which the child is placed in the legal custody of the department;#

2. (2)

   Date upon which a dependency petition is filed;#

3. (3)

   Date upon which an attorney for the child is appointed;#

4. (4)

   Date upon which a guardian ad litem for the child is appointed;#

5. (5)

   Date upon which the preliminary protective hearing is held;#

6. (6)

   Date or dates upon which an adjudication hearing is initiated and completed and the date the order is entered;#

7. (7)

   Date or dates upon which a disposition hearing is initiated and completed and the date the order is entered;#

8. (8)

   Date of the initial review hearing;#

9. (9)

   Date of any additional periodic review hearing;#

10. (10)

    Date of the initial permanency hearing;#

11. (11)

    Date or dates upon which any permanency plan hearing is initiated and completed and the date the order is entered;#

12. (12)

    Date upon which any order is entered, together with an identifier of said order;#

13. (13)

    Date upon which the department files any written report, including, but not limited to, a case plan;#

14. (14)

    Date upon which any petition to terminate parental rights is filed;#

15. (15)

    Date or dates upon which a hearing on a petition to terminate parental rights is initiated and completed and the date the order is entered;#

16. (16)

    Date upon which a child is returned to the custody of his or her parent, guardian, or legal custodian pursuant to a protective order, if applicable;#

17. (17)

    Date upon which any order of guardianship is entered;#

18. (18)

    If applicable, the date upon which a child is returned to the custody of his or her parent, guardian, or legal custodian without a protective order;#

19. (19)

    Date upon which the department is relieved of legal custody of the child;#

20. (20)

    The court’s adherence on each case to the time limitations as required by Code Sections 15-11-102, 15-11-301, and 15-11-322;#

21. (21)

    In a termination of parental rights proceeding or a proceeding pursuant to Code Section 15-11-102, the date upon which any order granting a continuance is entered, together with a factual basis upon which such continuance is granted; and#

22. (22)

    Such additional data as may be required pursuant to the rules adopted by the Supreme Court of Georgia.#

Each juvenile court shall maintain a docket readily accessible by the parties to a proceeding and shall utilize its local case management system to collect the required data elements as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section. All such required data elements shall be submitted through a regularly scheduled data upload into the Georgia Juvenile Data Exchange at the maximum frequency allowed by local case management system parameters; provided, however, that such upload shall occur no less than once per week.#

On or before April 15, 2025, and annually thereafter, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall electronically submit the de-identified data collected, together with a comprehensive, aggregated permanency report organized by county, to the General Assembly for the previous calendar year. Copies of such data and such report shall be electronically provided to the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, the chairperson of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the chairperson of the House Committee on Juvenile Justice, and the chairperson of the Senate Children and Families Committee.#