2006 New York Code - Deserted Or Abandoned Children; Special Provisions.

 
    §  352.    Deserted  or abandoned children; special provisions.  1.  A
  social services official who makes a family assistance allowance for the
  benefit of a child who has been abandoned or deserted by a parent  shall
  promptly  give notice thereof to the appropriate district attorney where
  there is reason to believe such parent may have violated the  provisions
  of section 260.00 of the penal law.
    2. The social services official providing family assistance allowances
  pursuant to the provisions of this title, for the benefit of a child who
  has  an absent parent, shall have and shall perform the following duties
  and powers in addition to others imposed or conferred upon him or her by
  or pursuant to other provisions of this chapter or other law:
    (a)  to take such steps and make such efforts to locate any parent  of
  such  child  whose  whereabouts  are  unknown  to  such  official as all
  available means will allow; such means shall include, and there shall be
  utilization of, appropriate  services  offered  by  the  department,  by
  agencies of other states and by the federal government;
    (b)   to determine the ability and potential ability of the parents of
  each such child to support or to  contribute  to  the  support  of  such
  child;
    (c)    to  establish  cooperative  arrangements with the family court,
  county  attorneys,  corporation  counsels  and  other  law   enforcement
  officials,  for the location of missing parents of such children and for
  the enforcement of their obligations to support or contribute to support
  of such children to the extent of their ability;
    (d)    to  provide  pertinent  information  to  such  court  and   law
  enforcement  officials  to  enable  them  to  assist  in locating absent
  parents of such children and in  securing  support  payments  therefrom,
  provided  that  there  is  an  agreement  between  such  social services
  official and such court and such law enforcement officials insuring that
  such information will be used only for the purpose intended;
    (e)  to reimburse, to the extent that state and  federal  requirements
  authorize  or  require, appropriate courts and law enforcement officials
  for activities related to the  requirements  of  this  chapter  and  the
  family  court act with respect to enforcement of support obligations and
  for services they have undertaken on behalf of such official.
    3.   For purposes of this section,  "absent  parent"  shall  mean  any
  person  who  is legally responsible for a spouse or child, who is absent
  from the household, whether such person's location is known or  unknown,
  and fails to provide for the support of such spouse or child.