Section 2151.426. Children's advocacy center - memorandum of understanding

(A)

(1) A children's advocacy center may be established to serve a single county by execution of a memorandum of understanding regarding the participation in the operation of the center by any of the following entities in the county to be served by the center:

(a) The public children services agency;

(b) Representatives of any county or municipal law enforcement agencies serving the county that investigate any of the types of abuse specified in the memorandum of understanding creating the center as being within the center's jurisdiction;

(c) The prosecuting attorney of the county or a village solicitor, city director of law, or similar chief legal officer of a municipal corporation in the county who prosecutes any of the types of abuse specified in the memorandum of understanding creating the center as being within the center's jurisdiction in the area to be served by the center;

(d) Any other entity considered appropriate by all of the other entities executing the memorandum.

(2) A children's advocacy center may be established to serve two or more contiguous counties if a memorandum of understanding regarding the participation in the operation of the center is executed by any of the entities described in division (A)(1) of this section in each county to be served by the center.

(3) Any memorandum of understanding executed under this section may include a provision that specifies types of abuse of a child, in addition to sexual abuse of a child, that are to be within the jurisdiction of the children's advocacy center created as a result of the execution of the memorandum. If a memorandum of understanding executed under this section does not include any provision of that nature, the children's advocacy center created as a result of the execution of the memorandum has jurisdiction only in relation to reports of alleged sexual abuse of a child.

(B) Each entity that participates in the execution of a memorandum of understanding under this section shall cooperate in all of the following:

(1) Developing a multidisciplinary team pursuant to section 2151.427 of the Revised Code to perform the functions and activities and provide the services specified in the interagency agreement entered into under section 2151.428 of the Revised Code, regarding reports received under section 2151.421 of the Revised Code of alleged sexual abuse of a child and reports of allegations of another type of abuse of a child that is specified in the memorandum of understanding that creates the center as being within the center's jurisdiction, and regarding the children who are the subjects of the reports;

(2) Participating in the operation of the center in compliance with standards for full membership established by the national children's alliance;

(3) Employing the center's staff.

(C) A center shall do both of the following:

(1) Operate in accordance with sections 2151.427 and 2151.428 of the Revised Code, the interagency agreement entered into under section 2151.428 of the Revised Code relative to the center, and the standards for full membership established by the national children's alliance;

(2) Register annually with the attorney general.

Effective Date: 05-06-2005