Guam § 13100 - Short Title; Purpose; Construction.

§ 13100. Short Title; Purpose; Construction.

(a) This Chapter, which shall be called and may be cited as the “Child Protective Act,” creates within

the jurisdiction of the Family Court procedures to safeguard, treat and provide permanent planning for

children who have been harmed or threatened with harm.

(b) I Liheslatura finds that children deserve and require competent, responsible parenting and safe,

secure, loving and nurturing homes. I Liheslatura finds that children who have been harmed and threatened

with harm are less likely than other children to realize their full educational, vocational and emotional

potential, less likely to become law-abiding, productive, self-sufficient citizens, and are more likely to

become involved with the mental health system, the juvenile justice system or the criminal justice system,

as well as become an economic burden on the government of Guam. I Liheslatura finds that prompt

identification, reporting, investigation, adjudication, treatment and disposition of cases involving children

who are harmed or threatened with harm are in both the children’s and society’s best interests because such

children are exploitable and vulnerable and have limited defenses.

(c) The policy and purpose of this Chapter are to provide children with prompt and ample protection

from the harms detailed herein, with an opportunity for timely reconciliation with their families where

practical, and with timely and permanent planning so they may develop and mature into responsible, self-

sufficient and law-abiding citizens. This permanent planning should effectuate placement with a child’s

own family when possible and should be conducted in an expeditious fashion so that where return to the

child’s family is not possible as provided in this Chapter, such children will be promptly and permanently

placed with responsible and competent substitute parents and families, with their places in such families

secured by adoption or permanent custody orders.

(d) This Chapter shall be liberally construed to serve the best interests of the children and the purposes

set out in this Chapter.

2025 NOTE: References to the “Legislature” replaced with I Liheslatura pursuant to 2 GCA § 1101. Subsection

designations added pursuant to authority granted by 1 GCA § 1606.

COL 2025-12-23