{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/2.2-439.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/2.2-439.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/2.2-439.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/2.2-439.html"}],"law_id":58926,"edition_id":1,"section_id":58926,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-439","catch_line":"Children’s Ombudsman; establishment; appointment; removal","history":"2020, c. 1090; 2023, c. 750.","full_text":"A\n\nThere is hereby created the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman as a means of effecting changes in policy, procedure, and legislation; educating the public; investigating and reviewing actions of the Department, local departments, child-placing agencies, or children’s residential facilities; and monitoring and ensuring compliance with relevant statutes, rules, and policies pertaining to child protective services and the placement, supervision, and treatment of, and improvement of delivery of care to, children in foster care and adoptive homes.B\n\nThe Office of the Children’s Ombudsman shall be headed by the Children’s Ombudsman, who shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. The individual shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Children’s Ombudsman and the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman as provided in this chapter.C\n\nThe appointment shall be for a term of four years. The Governor may remove the Ombudsman for cause in accordance with § 2.2-108. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":216038,"text":"There is hereby created the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman as a means of effecting changes in policy, procedure, and legislation; educating the public; investigating and reviewing actions of the Department, local departments, child-placing agencies, or children’s residential facilities; and monitoring and ensuring compliance with relevant statutes, rules, and policies pertaining to child protective services and the placement, supervision, and treatment of, and improvement of delivery of care to, children in foster care and adoptive homes.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":216039,"text":"The Office of the Children’s Ombudsman shall be headed by the Children’s Ombudsman, who shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. The individual shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Children’s Ombudsman and the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman as provided in this chapter.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":216040,"text":"The appointment shall be for a term of four years. The Governor may remove the Ombudsman for cause in accordance with § 2.2-108. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14132,"edition_id":1,"name":"Office of the Children's Ombudsman","identifier":"4.4","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13132,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:58","permalink":{"id":172251,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14132,"identifier":"4.4","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13132,"edition_id":1,"name":"Office of the Governor","identifier":"A","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12784,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","permalink":{"id":171457,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13132,"identifier":"A","token":"2.2\/I\/A","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12784,"edition_id":1,"name":"Organization of State Government","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12749,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":171455,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12784,"identifier":"I","token":"2.2\/I","url":"\/2.2\/I\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12749,"edition_id":1,"name":"Administration of Government","identifier":"2.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":171453,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12749,"identifier":"2.2","token":"2.2","url":"\/2.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":82383,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-438","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/2.2-438\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-438","metadata":false},{"id":58926,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-439","catch_line":"Children's Ombudsman; establishment; appointment; removal","url":"\/2.2-439\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-439","metadata":false},{"id":65867,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-440","catch_line":"Procedures; training; notification of safety concerns.","url":"\/2.2-440\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-440","metadata":false},{"id":55274,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-441","catch_line":"Individuals making complaint to Children's Ombudsman","url":"\/2.2-441\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-441","metadata":false},{"id":56251,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-442","catch_line":"Children's Ombudsman; powers and duties","url":"\/2.2-442\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-442","metadata":false},{"id":57255,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-443","catch_line":"Abused or neglected children; children receiving child-protective services, in foster care, or placed for adoption; powers of Children's Ombudsman; child fatality cases; investigation","url":"\/2.2-443\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-443","metadata":false},{"id":63429,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-444","catch_line":"Decision to investigate; notice; pursuing administrative remedies or channels of complaint; further investigation; violation of state or federal criminal law; complaint against child-placing agency; petition requesting court jurisdiction or termination of parental rights","url":"\/2.2-444\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-444","metadata":false},{"id":59527,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-445","catch_line":"Department and child-placing agency; duties; information to be provided to biological parent, adoptive parent, or foster parent; access to departmental computer networks","url":"\/2.2-445\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-445","metadata":false},{"id":60624,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-446","catch_line":"Confidentiality of record of Children's Ombudsman; disclosure; limitations; release of certain information","url":"\/2.2-446\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-446","metadata":false},{"id":71669,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-447","catch_line":"Report of findings; recommendations; consultation with individual, Department, local department, children's residential facility, or child-placing agency; publication of adverse report; notice of actions; information provided to complainant; child fatality investigation; report","url":"\/2.2-447\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-447","metadata":false},{"id":58073,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-448","catch_line":"Penalty for filing complaint or cooperating in investigation prohibited","url":"\/2.2-448\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-448","metadata":false},{"id":81030,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-449","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/2.2-449\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-449","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":82383,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-438","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/2.2-438\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-438","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":65867,"structure_id":14132,"section_number":"2.2-440","catch_line":"Procedures; training; notification of safety concerns.","url":"\/2.2-440\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-440","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/2.2-439\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2020. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 1090<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2023, chapter 750<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":82383,"section_number":"2.2-438","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-438\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":77197,"section_number":"2.2-108","catch_line":"Removal of members of certain boards, commissions, etc","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-108\/"}],"permalink":{"id":172257,"object_type":"law","relational_id":58926,"identifier":"2.2-439","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-439","url":"\/2.2-439\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/2.2-439\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4.4\/2.2-439","dublin_core":{"Title":"Children’s Ombudsman; establishment; appointment; removal","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 2.2-439","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> There is hereby created the Office<\/span> of the Children’s Ombudsman<\/span> as a means of effecting changes in policy, procedure, and legislation; educating the public; investigating and reviewing actions of the Department<\/span>, local departments<\/span>, child<\/span>-placing agencies, or children’s residential facilities; and monitoring and ensuring compliance with relevant statutes<\/span>, rules, and policies pertaining to child<\/span> protective services and the placement, supervision, and treatment of, and improvement of delivery of care to, children in foster care<\/span> and adoptive homes. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The Office<\/span> of the Children’s Ombudsman<\/span> shall be headed by the Children’s Ombudsman<\/span>, who shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. The individual shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Children’s Ombudsman<\/span> and the Office<\/span> of the Children’s Ombudsman<\/span> as provided in this chapter. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The appointment shall be for a term of four years. The Governor may remove the Ombudsman<\/span> for cause in accordance with § 2.2-108<\/a>. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCHILDREN’S OMBUDSMAN; ESTABLISHMENT; APPOINTMENT; REMOVAL (\u00a7 2.2-439)\n\nA. There is hereby created the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman as a\nmeans of effecting changes in policy, procedure, and legislation; educating the\npublic; investigating and reviewing actions of the Department, local\ndepartments, child-placing agencies, or children’s residential facilities;\nand monitoring and ensuring compliance with relevant statutes, rules, and\npolicies pertaining to child protective services and the placement, supervision,\nand treatment of, and improvement of delivery of care to, children in foster\ncare and adoptive homes.\n\nB. The Office of the Children’s Ombudsman shall be headed by the\nChildren’s Ombudsman, who shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to\nconfirmation by the General Assembly. The individual shall be qualified by\ntraining and experience to perform the duties and exercise the powers of the\nChildren’s Ombudsman and the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman as\nprovided in this chapter.\n\nC. The appointment shall be for a term of four years. The Governor may remove\nthe Ombudsman for cause in accordance with § 2.2-108. Vacancies shall be\nfilled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term.\n\nHISTORY: 2020, c. 1090; 2023, c. 750.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}