§ 234 — Compensation and liability for support and care in counties outside the city of New York

§ 234. Compensation and liability for support and care in counties\noutside the city of New York. (a) Whenever a child is detained, placed\nor committed under the provisions of this act to an authorized agency,\nor to any person other than his parent and is retained in accordance\nwith the rules of the state board of social welfare, compensation for\nhis care and maintenance shall be a charge on the county. The\ncompensation paid by the county for care and maintenance of the child\nmay be charged back to a city or town in the county in accordance with\nand to the extent permitted by the provisions of the social services\nlaw. All bills for such care and maintenance to be paid from public\nfunds shall be paid by the county treasurer from moneys appropriated for\npublic assistance and care in the county social services district by\nwarrant of the commissioner of social services.\n (b) The court may, after issuance and service of an order to show\ncause upon the parent or other person having the duty under the law to\nsupport such child, adjudge that such parent or other person shall pay\nto the court such sum as will cover in whole or in part the support of\nsuch child, and willful failure to pay such sum may, in the discretion\nof the court, be punished as for a criminal contempt of court. When a\nperson liable to such payment on order, as herein provided, is before\nthe court in the proceeding relating to the commitment or placement, a\nformal order to show cause may be dispensed with in the discretion of\nthe court.\n (c) (i) The social services district from which the detention,\nplacement or commitment is made shall be entitled to be reimbursed by\nanother social services district for its expenditures for care and\nmaintenance of the child, if, and to the extent that, it would have been\nentitled to be reimbursed therefor by such other district had the care\nbeen provided under and pursuant to the provisions of the social\nservices law. The commissioner of social services of the social services\ndistrict from which the commitment was made may enforce repayment from\nthe other social services district in accordance with the provisions of\nthe social services law.\n (ii) In accordance with the provisions of the social services law and\nthe rules and regulations of the state department of social services\nrelating to state charges, and from funds available to the state\ndepartment of social services therefor, the state shall reimburse the\nsocial services district for the full cost of care and maintenance of\nthe child, in the event the child is a state charge as defined by the\nsocial services law.\n