When determining the location of a missing child who is not under the continuing jurisdiction of a district court, what action must the officer take?

• A. Take possession of the child and deliver or arrange for the child to be delivered to a person entitled to possession of the child or the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.
• B. Return the child to the person who located them.
• C. Release the child to a guardian with no formal process.
• D. Place the child in temporary foster care only.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that there is a duty to secure the child’s safety by placing them in the proper custody channel when there’s no ongoing district court jurisdiction. The officer must take possession of the missing child and deliver the child to a person entitled to possession of the child or to the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services. This creates a formal, legally authorized path for custody and protective services to handle the child.

Why this is best: it ensures the child is under lawful custody and in protective care when there’s no court order guiding custody. It prevents informal handoffs to someone who isn’t legally authorized to have the child and ensures a formal process for placement or reunification.

Why other options don’t fit: returning the child to the person who located them bypasses the legal custody framework; releasing the child to a guardian without a formal process also bypasses due process and statutory procedures; and placing the child in temporary foster care alone doesn’t satisfy the required custody transfer to an authorized party or to the protective services agency.