Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4005-A, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 1997, c. 343, §1, is further amended to read:

A. "Foster parent" means a person who has had a the child who is the subject of the child protection proceeding in that person's home for at least 120 days and who either has received a license for a family foster home as defined in section 8101, subsection 3, or who is a relative.

Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §4005-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1991, c. 176, §1, is further amended to read:

2. Petition. A foster parent may petition for standing and intervenor status in any child protection proceeding under this chapter regarding a foster child that lives or has lived in the foster parent's home. The standing and intervenor status is limited to that proceeding unless otherwise ordered by the court.

Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §4006, first ¶, as repealed and replaced by PL 1997, c. 715, Pt. A, §3, is amended to read:

A party aggrieved by an order of a court entered pursuant to section 4035, 4054 or 4071 may appeal the order.__These appeals must be directly to the Supreme Judicial Court sitting as the Law Court and such appeals are governed by the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, chapter 9.

Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §4031, sub-§3, as corrected by RR 1999, c. 1, §29, is amended to read:

3. Scope of authority. The court shall consider and act on child protection petitions regardless of other decrees regarding a child's care and custody. The requirements and provisions of Title 19-A, chapter 58 do not apply to child protection proceedings. If custody is an issue in another pending proceeding, the proceedings may be consolidated in the District Court with respect to the custody issue. In any event, the court shall make an order on the child protection petition in accordance with this chapter. That order takes precedence over any prior other order regarding the child's care and custody.

Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §4033, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 715, Pt. B, §6, is amended to read:

5. Notice to foster parents, preadoptive parents and relatives providing care. The department shall provide written notice of all reviews and hearings in advance of the proceeding to foster parents, preadoptive parents and relatives providing