Section 316.110 The Department's Role in the Juvenile Court

Section 316

TITLE 89: SOCIAL SERVICES

CHAPTER III: DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

SUBCHAPTER a: SERVICE DELIVERY

PART 316 ADMINISTRATIVE CASE REVIEWS AND COURT HEARINGS

SECTION 316.110 THE DEPARTMENT'S ROLE IN THE JUVENILE COURT

Section 316.110  The

Department's Role in the Juvenile Court

a)         The Department shall inform the Juvenile Court of the

Department's permanency goal planning for the youth in care and families it

serves and their progress toward those goals.

b)         When in the juvenile court, the Department shall provide

information and recommendations to the court and the parties and shall

recommend the court keep families together in all instances when it is

consistent with the youth in care's best interests, health, safety, and

well-being.  In those instances when children or youth must be removed from

their parent's care, the Department shall recommend that the court reunite youth

in care with their families as soon as returning home is consistent with their

best interests, health, safety, and well-being.  Finally, when it is clear to

the Department the youth in care's health and safety needs cannot be met by the

parents and it is in the youth in care's best interests, the Department will

provide that information to the court and recommend that the court establish

other permanency goals.

c)         When the Department Guardianship Administrator is appointed as

the temporary custodian of a youth in care whose siblings are in substitute

care and the youth in care and all the siblings are not placed together, the

Department shall file with the court and serve on the parties a Visitation and

Contact Plan within 10 days, excluding weekends and holidays, after the

appointment.

d)         When the Department has legal responsibility for a child, a

representative of the Department or its contributing agency shall attend all

hearings required by the court

re and all the siblings are not placed together, the

Department shall file with the court and serve on the parties a Visitation and

Contact Plan within 10 days, excluding weekends and holidays, after the

appointment.

d)         When the Department has legal responsibility for a child, a

representative of the Department or its contributing agency shall attend all

hearings required by the court.  At each hearing the Department or its contributing

agency shall provide information relating to the youth in care's placement,

best interests, health, safety, and well-being, and make any appropriate

recommendations.  Such hearings include:

1)         the temporary custody hearing;

2)         the adjudicatory hearing;

3)         the dispositional hearing;

4)         permanency hearings; and

5)         all other hearings the court may require.