984.01 Purposes and intent; personnel standards and screening.— (1) The purposes of this chapter are: (a) To provide judicial and other procedures to assure due process through which children and other interested parties are assured fair hearings by a respectful and respected court or other tribunal and the recognition, protection, and enforcement of their constitutional and other legal […]
984.02 Legislative intent for the juvenile justice system.— (1) GENERAL PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN.—It is a purpose of the Legislature that the children of this state be provided with the following protections: (a) Protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. (b) A permanent and stable home. (c) A safe and nurturing environment which will preserve a sense of personal dignity and integrity. […]
984.03 Definitions.—When used in this chapter, the term: (1) “Abandoned” means a situation in which the parent or legal custodian of a child or, in the absence of a parent or legal custodian, the person responsible for the child’s welfare, while being able, makes no provision for the child’s support and makes no effort to communicate with […]
984.04 Families in need of services and children in need of services; procedures and jurisdiction.— (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to address the problems of families in need of services by providing them with an array of services designed to preserve the unity and integrity of the family and to emphasize parental responsibility for […]
984.06 Oaths, records, and confidential information.— (1) The judge, clerks or deputy clerks, or authorized agents of the department shall each have the power to administer oaths and affirmations. (2) The court shall make and keep records of all cases brought before it pursuant to this chapter and shall preserve the records pertaining to a child in need […]
984.07 Appointed counsel; compensation.—If counsel is entitled to receive compensation for representation pursuant to court appointment in a child-in-need-of-services proceeding, such compensation shall not exceed $1,000 at the trial level and $2,500 at the appellate level. History.—s. 8, ch. 87-133; s. 93, ch. 97-238. Note.—Former s. 39.447.
984.071 Resources and information.— (1) The Department of Juvenile Justice, in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Education, shall develop and publish an information packet that explains the current process under this chapter for obtaining assistance for a child in need of services or a family in need of services and […]
984.08 Attorney’s fees.—The court may appoint an attorney to represent a parent or legal guardian under this chapter only upon a finding that the parent or legal guardian is indigent pursuant to s. 57.082. If an attorney is appointed, the parent or legal guardian shall be enrolled in a payment plan pursuant to s. 28.246. History.—s. […]
984.085 Sheltering unmarried minors; aiding unmarried minor runaways; violations.— (1)(a) A person who is not an authorized agent of the Department of Juvenile Justice or the Department of Children and Families may not knowingly shelter an unmarried minor for more than 24 hours without the consent of the minor’s parent or guardian or without notifying a law […]
984.086 Children locked out of the home; interagency cooperation.—The Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Children and Families shall encourage interagency cooperation within each circuit and shall develop comprehensive agreements between the staff and providers for each department in order to coordinate the services provided to children who are locked out of the home […]
984.09 Punishment for contempt of court; alternative sanctions.— (1) CONTEMPT OF COURT; LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—The court may punish any child for contempt for interfering with the court or with court administration, or for violating any provision of this chapter or order of the court relative thereto. It is the intent of the Legislature that the court restrict and […]
984.10 Intake.— (1) Intake shall be performed by the department. A report or complaint alleging that a child is from a family in need of services shall be made to the intake office operating in the county in which the child is found or in which the case arose. Any person or agency, including, but not limited […]
984.11 Services to families in need of services.— (1) Services and treatment to families in need of services shall be by voluntary agreement of the parent or legal guardian and the child or as directed by a court order pursuant to s. 984.22. (2) These services may include, but need not be limited to: (a) Homemaker or parent aide […]
984.12 Case staffing; services and treatment to a family in need of services.— (1) The appropriate representative of the department shall request a meeting of the family and child with a case staffing committee to review the case of any family or child who the department determines is in need of services or treatment if: (a) The family […]
984.13 Taking into custody a child alleged to be from a family in need of services or to be a child in need of services.— (1) A child may be taken into custody: (a) By a law enforcement officer when the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the child has run away from his or her parents, […]
984.14 Shelter placement; hearing.— (1) Unless ordered by the court pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, or upon voluntary consent to placement by the child and the child’s parent, legal guardian, or custodian, a child taken into custody shall not be placed in a shelter prior to a court hearing unless a determination has been made […]
984.15 Petition for a child in need of services.— (1) All proceedings seeking an adjudication that a child is a child in need of services shall be initiated by the filing of a petition by an attorney representing the department or by the child’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian. If a child in need of services has […]
984.151 Truancy petition; prosecution; disposition.— (1) If the school determines that a student subject to compulsory school attendance has had at least five unexcused absences, or absences for which the reasons are unknown, within a calendar month or 10 unexcused absences, or absences for which the reasons are unknown, within a 90-calendar-day period pursuant to s. 1003.26(1)(b), […]
984.16 Process and service.— (1) Personal appearance of any person in a hearing before the court shall obviate the necessity of serving process on that person. (2) Upon the filing of a petition containing allegations of facts which, if true, would constitute the child therein being named a child in need of services, and upon the request of […]
984.17 Response to petition and representation of parties.— (1) At the time a petition is filed, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem for the child. (2) No answer to the petition or any other pleading need be filed by any child, parent, or legal custodian, but any matters which might be set forth in an answer […]
