9.1-159 - Creation of McGruff House Program; duties of Department. - Virginia Statutes

§ 9.1-159. Creation of McGruff House Program; duties of Department.

The symbol of "McGruff" with the phrase "McGruff House" shall be thesymbol used to designate a house in the Commonwealth where a child who isabused, neglected or otherwise emotionally or physically in danger may seekrefuge and assistance.

The Department shall adopt a standard symbol to be used throughout theCommonwealth which is the same as or substantially similar to the McGruffHouse symbol in use in other states. The Department shall establish byregulation appropriate procedures governing (i) qualifications and criteriafor designation as a McGruff House and participants' duties andresponsibilities, including the reporting of incidents to the locallaw-enforcement agency and department of social services' child-protectiveservices program, (ii) programs to publicize the McGruff House Program, (iii)dissemination of the McGruff House symbol to day-care centers, schools, andlaw-enforcement agencies, (iv) designation and registration of McGruff Houseswith, and monitoring and periodic review of such houses by, locallaw-enforcement agencies, and (v) coordination of the program with thechild-protective services component of the local department of socialservices.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit the use of a symbol other than"McGruff" by a locality which currently has some other safe house programin existence and operation.

(1994, cc. 60, 868, § 9-173.17; 2001, c. 844.)