Enabling Legislation for Children’s Ombudsman Services

Nearly every state offers ombuds services for children. Because they have all passed enabling legislation for children’s ombudsman services, unique to their political landscape, state agency structures, and regulatory requirements, there are many examples of legislation.

Hopefully, this directory of enabling legislation and state statutes regarding ombudsman services for children in other states will be a helpful resource to Louisiana’s officials who are considering the creation of an Office of Children’s Ombudsman for Louisiana’s children and families.

State-level Legislation

The Children’s Ombudsman services in most states operate at the state level, are created by acts of the state legislatures, and are offices or departments in state government. This table identifies the states’ ombuds services and provides links to the Ombudsman websites and enabling legislation that created the services in the respective states.

State	Office Website	Enabling Legislation
Alaska	Alaska Office of Ombudsman https://ombud.alaska.gov	Alaska Stat. 24.55.010-340
Arizona	Arizona Office of Ombudsman Citizens Aide https://www.azoca.gov	Ariz. Rev. Stat. 41-1371 through 41-1383
Arkansas	Arkansas Public Defender’s Commission’s Juvenile Ombudsman https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/divisions-shared-services/youth-services/juvenile-justice-ombudsman/	Ark. Code Ann. § 16-87-216
Arkansas	Arkansas Child Welfare Ombudsman Division https://accardv.uams.edu/child-welfare-ombudsman/	AR Code § 20-82-211 (2020)
California	Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson https://fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov	Cal. Welfare And Institutions Code § 16160-16167
Colorado	Office of Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman www.coloradocpo.org	Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-3.3-101 to -109
Connecticut	Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate https://portal.ct.gov/oca	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-13k
Delaware	Delaware Office of the Child Advocate https://courts.delaware.gov/childadvocate/	Del. Code Ann. tit. 29 §  9001A – 9009A
Georgia	Office of the Child Advocate for the Protection of Children https://oca.georgia.gov	Ga. Code Ann, § 15-11-740 et. Seq.
Hawaii	Office of the Ombudsman www.ombudsman.hawaii.gov	Hawaii Rev. Stat. § 96-1 to 96-19
Illinois	Illinois DCFS Office of the Inspector General www2.illinois.gov/dcfs/aboutus/OIG/Pages/oig_faqs.aspx	Ch. 20 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 505/35.5
Indiana	Indiana Ombudsman Bureaus www.in.gov/idoa/ombudsman-bureaus/	Ind. Code §  4-13-19
Iowa	Iowa Office of Ombudsman www.legis.iowa.gov/Ombudsman/	Iowa Code § 2C-1 et.seq.
Kentucky	Kentucky Office of Ombudsman www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/os/omb/Pages/default.aspx	Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 194A.030(A)
Maine	Maine Children’s Ombudsman www.cwombudsman.org	Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 22 § 4087-A
Massachusetts	Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate https://www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-the-child-advocate	Mass Gen. Laws ch. 18 § 1-13
Michigan	Michigan Office of the Children’s Ombudsman www.michigan.gov/oco	Act 204 of 1994, Michigan Compiled Laws, Section (§§) 722.921-932.
Minnesota	Minnesota Office of Ombudsperson for Families www.mn.gov/ombudfam/	Minn. Stat. § 257.0755 et. seq.
Missouri	Missouri Office of Child Advocate https://oca.mo.gov	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 37.705
Montana	Montana Office of the Child and Family Ombudsman www.dojmt.gov/enforcement/specialservices/ocfo-home/	Montana Code Annotated, Title 41, Chapter 3, Part 12. (Montana Legislature, 2013 Session)
Nebraska	Nebraska Office of Public Counsel https://nebraskalegislature.gov/divisions/ombud.php	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-8,240 to 8-8,254
New Hampshire	New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate www.childadvocate.nh.gov	NH Rev. Stat. § 21-V:1-10
New York	New York Office of the Ombudsman https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/ombudsman/	N.Y. Exec. Law § 523b
Oregon	The Office of Children’s Advocate www.oregon.gov/dhs/aboutdhs/pages/gao.aspx	Or. Rev. Stat. § 417.810
Rhode Island	Rhode Island Office of the Child Advocate www.child-advocate.ri.gov	R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-73-1 et seq.
South Carolina	The South Carolina Department of Children’s Advocacy https://childadvocate.sc.gov	S.C. Code of Laws Ann. Sections 63-11-2210, et.seq.
Tennessee	Tennessee Ombudsman for Children and Families www.tn.gov/tccy/programs0/ombuds.html	Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-3-101, et. seq.
Texas	Ombudsman for the Department of Family and Protective Services www.hhs.texas.gov/services/your-rights/hhs-office-ombudsman	Tex. Govt Code § 531.992, et. seq.
Texas	HHS Office of the Ombudsman www.hhs.texas.gov/services/your-rights/hhs-office-ombudsman	Tex Adm Code Title 26, Part 1, Chapter 87, Subchapter A, Rule § 87.101
Texas	Ombudsman for Managed Care Assistance www.hhs.texas.gov/services/your-rights/hhs-office-ombudsman	Tex Adm Code Title 26, Part 1, Chapter 87, Subchapter B, Rule § 87.201
Texas	Ombudsman for Children and Youth in Foster Care www.hhs.texas.gov/services/your-rights/hhs-office-ombudsman	Tex Adm Code Title 26, Part 1, Chapter 87, Subchapter C, Rule § 87.301
Texas	Intellectual or Developmental Disability Ombudsman www.hhs.texas.gov/services/your-rights/hhs-office-ombudsman	Tex Adm Code Title 26, Part 1, Chapter 87, Subchapter E, Rule § 87.501
Texas	Independent Ombudsman for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department www.tjjd.texas.gov/index.php/independent-ombudsman	Tex Adm Code Title 37, Part 14, Chapter 601, Rule § 87.501
Utah	Utah Office of Child Protection Ombudsman https://hs.utah.gov/services/care-concerns	Utah Code. Ann. 62A-4a-208
Virginia	Office of the Children’s Ombudsman www.oco.virginia.gov	Code of Virginia, Chapter 4.4, Sections (§§) 2.2-439
Washington	Washington State Office of the Family and Children’s Ombudsman https://ofco.wa.gov	Wash. Rev. Code § 43.06A
West Virginia	Foster Care Ombudsman www.wvdhhr.org/oig/fco.html	W. Va. Code §49-9-101

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