Section 532-B. Powers and duties of approved runaway program

1.
  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, pursuant to  regulations  of
  the  office  of children and family services an approved runaway program
  is authorized to and shall:
    (a) provide assistance to any runaway or homeless youth  or  youth  in
  need  of  crisis  intervention  or  respite  services as defined in this
  article;
    (b) attempt to determine the cause for the youth's runaway or homeless
  status;
    (c) explain to the runaway and homeless youth  his  legal  rights  and
  options of service or other assistance available to the youth;
    (d)  work  towards reuniting such youth with his parent or guardian as
  soon as practicable in accordance with section five hundred thirty-two-c
  of this article;
    (e) assist in arranging for necessary services for runaway or homeless
  youth, and where appropriate, their families, including but not  limited
  to  food,  shelter, clothing, medical care, education and individual and
  family counseling. Where the approved  runaway  program  concludes  that
  such runaway or homeless youth would be eligible for assistance, care or
  services  from  a  local  social  services district, it shall assist the
  youth in securing such assistance, care or  services  as  the  youth  is
  entitled to; and
    (f)  immediately report to the local child protective service where it
  has reasonable cause to suspect that the runaway or homeless  youth  has
  been  abused  or  neglected  or when such youth maintains such to be the
  case.
    2. The runaway youth may remain in the program on  a  voluntary  basis
  for  a period not to exceed thirty days from the date of admission where
  the filing of a petition pursuant to article ten of the family court act
  is not contemplated, in order that arrangements  can  be  made  for  the
  runaway  youth's return home, alternative residential placement pursuant
  to section three hundred ninety-eight of the social services law, or any
  other suitable plan. If the runaway youth and the  parent,  guardian  or
  custodian agree, in writing, the runaway youth may remain in the runaway
  program  up  to  sixty days without the filing of a petition pursuant to
  article ten of the family court act, provided that in any such case  the
  facility  shall  first  have obtained the approval of the county runaway
  coordinator, who shall notify the county youth bureau  of  his  approval
  together  with  a  statement  as  to  the  reason  why  such  additional
  residential stay is necessary and a description  of  the  efforts  being
  made to find suitable alternative living arrangements for such youth.