(1) Parents and guardians make important decisions every day regarding the participation of their children in activities. Caregivers of children in out-of-home placements are faced with making the same decisions for children in their care.

(2) When a caregiver of a child in an out-of-home placement makes a decision regarding the child's participation in an activity, the caregiver must consider applicable laws and policies designed to safeguard the child's health and safety. However, these laws and policies are sometimes interpreted to prohibit a child from participating in age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate extracurricular and community activities that are important to healthy child and adolescent development.

(3) Participation in activities in school and the community is important to a child's well-being, both emotionally and in terms of developing valuable life skills and building healthy supportive relationships with peers and caring adults. Providing children with age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate opportunities to experience freedom and responsibility are central to making a successful transition to adulthood.

(4) It is the intent of the General Assembly to recognize the importance of normalizing the lives of children in out-of-home placements and to empower their caregivers to approve or disapprove a child's participation in activities without prior approval of the department, the child's county agency or private agency caseworker or the court.