By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Alabama now has a so-called "bill of rights" for foster parents. Governor Bob Riley signed the measure into law Tuesday. It establishes a list of rules for the Department of Human Resources to follow when dealing with foster parents. The new law gives foster parents access to training and the right to a written explanation of how a child will be placed in a foster home. A D-H-R staff person will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and foster parents will have the right to accept or refuse placement in their home. Representative Mac Gipson and Senator Sundra Escott sponsored the bill.