§ 234. Compensation and liability for support and care in counties
outside the city of New York. (a) Whenever a child is detained, placed
or committed under the provisions of this act to an authorized agency,
or to any person other than his parent and is retained in accordance
with the rules of the state board of social welfare, compensation for
his care and maintenance shall be a charge on the county. The
compensation paid by the county for care and maintenance of the child
may be charged back to a city or town in the county in accordance with
and to the extent permitted by the provisions of the social services
law. All bills for such care and maintenance to be paid from public
funds shall be paid by the county treasurer from moneys appropriated for
public assistance and care in the county social services district by
warrant of the commissioner of social services.

(b) The court may, after issuance and service of an order to show
cause upon the parent or other person having the duty under the law to
support such child, adjudge that such parent or other person shall pay
to the court such sum as will cover in whole or in part the support of
such child, and willful failure to pay such sum may, in the discretion
of the court, be punished as for a criminal contempt of court. When a
person liable to such payment on order, as herein provided, is before
the court in the proceeding relating to the commitment or placement, a
formal order to show cause may be dispensed with in the discretion of
the court.

(c) (i) The social services district from which the detention,
placement or commitment is made shall be entitled to be reimbursed by
another social services district for its expenditures for care and
maintenance of the child, if, and to the extent that, it would have been
entitled to be reimbursed therefor by such other district had the care
been provided under and pursuant to the provisions of the social
services law. The commissioner of social services of the social services
district from which the commitment was made may enforce repayment from
the other social services district in accordance with the provisions of
the social services law.

(ii) In accordance with the provisions of the social services law and
the rules and regulations of the state department of social services
relating to state charges, and from funds available to the state
department of social services therefor, the state shall reimburse the
social services district for the full cost of care and maintenance of
the child, in the event the child is a state charge as defined by the
social services law.