§49-8-1. Legislative findings; statement of legislative purpose.

(a) In certain circumstances where a parent, or legal custodian of a child is temporarily unable to care for the child due to a crisis or other circumstances, a less intrusive the Legislature finds that alternative to guardianship or the Department of Human Services taking custody of the child should be available. In such circumstances, a parent, or legal custodian may benefit from the assistance of charitable organizations in their community that assist families by providing safe, temporary care for children and support for families during difficult times.

(b) Accordingly, the Legislature finds that a parent, or legal guardian shall have the right to provide for the temporary care of their child with the assistance of qualified charitable organizations as outlined in this code.