Art. 725.5. Duties of the Department of Children and Family Services

            A. The department shall be responsible for investigating reports of abuse or neglect where the abuser is believed to be a parent or caretaker, a person who maintains an interpersonal dating or engagement relationship with the parent or caretaker, or a person living in the same residence with the parent or caretaker as a spouse whether married or not.

            B. The department shall fully cooperate with law enforcement, prosecutors, and court staff in the investigation and prosecution of child sexual exploitation, including ensuring that all state, federal, and community-based resources for sexually exploited children are known to the child.

            C. The department shall maintain a current listing of licensed residential homes that specialize in the provision of services to exploited children. This listing shall be made available to courts, prosecutors, law enforcement, and other stakeholders involved in proceedings pertaining an exploited child.

            D. The department shall cooperate with the prosecution of any perpetrator of child exploitation.

            E. The department shall develop policies that reflect best practices. It shall consider all protocols developed by the Louisiana Human Trafficking Commission and assist in compiling data requested by the commission when available.

            Acts 2017, No. 376, §1.