The commissioner of social services shall file a petition within ______ days of accepting the care and custody of a destitute child.

• A. 7 days
• B. 10 days
• C. 14 days
• D. 21 days

Answer: (C)

When the commissioner takes custody of a destitute child, the petition must be filed within 14 days. This two-week deadline ensures the case is brought before the court promptly so the child’s welfare is safeguarded and a formal disposition can be considered without unnecessary delay. It gives the agency time to gather essential information, prepare the petition with the child’s details, the grounds for care and custody, and the proposed plan, and to notify all parties involved.

The other timeframes are less appropriate: seven days is typically too short to properly compile the petition and arrange service, ten days doesn’t align with the established statutory window, and twenty-one days would delay court involvement beyond a reasonable, protective timeframe.