Cooperation of officials and organizations
§ 255. Cooperation of officials and organizations. (a) It is hereby made the duty of, and the family court or a judge thereof may order, any state, county, municipal and school district officer and employee to render such assistance and cooperation as shall be within their legal authority, as may be required, to further the objects of this act provided, however, that with respect to a school district an order made pursuant to this section shall be limited to requiring the performance of the duties imposed upon the school district and board of education or trustees thereof pursuant to sections four thousand five, forty-four hundred two and forty-four hundred four of the education law, to review, evaluate, recommend, and determine the appropriate special services or programs necessary to meet the needs of a handicapped child, but shall not require the provisions of a specific special service or program, and such order shall be made only where it appears to the court or judge that adequate administrative procedure to require the performance of such duties is not available. It is hereby made the duty of and the family court or judge thereof may order, any agency or other institution to render such information, assistance and cooperation as shall be within its legal authority concerning a child who is or shall be under its care, treatment, supervision or custody as may be required to further the objects of this act. The court is authorized to seek the cooperation of, and may use, within its authorized appropriation therefor, the services of all societies or organizations, public or private, having for their object the protection or aid of children or families, including family counselling services, to the end that the court may be assisted in every reasonable way to give the children and families within its jurisdiction such care, protection and assistance as will best enhance their welfare.
(b) An order of the family court or a judge thereof directing a social services district and/or social services official, as defined in section two of the social services law, to perform an action for the purpose of assisting a youth placed in foster care, shall remain enforceable after such youth is discharged from foster care pursuant to subdivision (d) of section one thousand eighty-eight of this act.
It is the duty of (and the court may order) any state/county/municipal/school-district officer or employee to render lawful assistance and cooperation to further the Act (school-district orders are limited to specified Education Law duties, and only where administrative remedies aren't available). Agencies/institutions must likewise share information/assistance about a child in their care. ★
(b) An order directing a social services district to help a foster youth remains enforceable after the youth leaves foster care (per § 1088(d)).
Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.
This provision appears in Volume 5 — The JG-22 Family Court Act and in Volume 1 — The JG-22 in Plain English.