Title V, Judicial Branch

(1) A person who knowingly and willfully fails to report to the central abuse hotline known or suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect, or who knowingly and willfully prevents another person from doing so, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. …

(1) In addition to any other penalty authorized by this section, chapter 120, or other law, the department may impose a fine, not to exceed $10,000 for each violation, upon a person who knowingly and willfully makes a false report of abuse, abandonment, or neglect of a child, or …

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—(a) The Legislature recognizes that animal cruelty of any kind is a type of interpersonal violence that often co-occurs with child abuse and other forms of family violence, including elder abuse and domestic violence. Early identification of a…

(1)(a) Upon receiving a report of known or suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect, or that a child is in need of supervision and care and has no parent, legal custodian, or responsible adult relative immediately known and available to provide supervision and care, the cen…

(1) The department shall conduct a child protective investigation of each report of institutional child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Upon receipt of a report that alleges that an employee or agent of the department, or any other entity or person covered by s. 39.01(39) or (57)…

(1) The Children’s Medical Services Program in the Department of Health shall develop, maintain, and coordinate the services of one or more multidisciplinary Child Protection Teams in each of the service circuits of the Department of Children and Families. Such teams may be compo…

The Department of Health, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, shall adopt rules governing the Child Protection Teams and sexual abuse treatment programs pursuant to s. 39.303, including definitions, organization, roles and responsibilities, eligibility, …

A memorandum of agreement shall be developed between the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Health that specifies how the teams will work with child protective investigation and service staff, that requires joint oversight by the two departments of the acti…

(1) Child advocacy centers are facilities that offer multidisciplinary services in a community-based, child-focused environment to children who are alleged to be victims of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. The children served by such centers may have experienced a variety of…

(1)(a) Any person required to investigate cases of suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect may take or cause to be taken photographs of the areas of trauma visible on a child who is the subject of a report. Any Child Protection Team that examines a child who is the subject…

The department shall enter into agreements with the jurisdictionally responsible county sheriffs’ offices and local police departments that will assume the lead in conducting any potential criminal investigations arising from allegations of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. T…

(1) Upon receiving a report alleging medical neglect, the department shall assign the case to a child protective investigator who has specialized training in addressing medical neglect or working with medically complex children if such investigator is available. If a child protec…

(1) Upon receiving a report alleging juvenile sexual abuse or inappropriate sexual behavior as defined in s. 39.01, the department shall assist the family, child, and caregiver in receiving appropriate services to address the allegations of the report.(a) The department shall ens…

The Department of Children and Families shall develop guidelines for conducting an onsite child protective investigation that specifically does not require the additional activities required by the department and for conducting an enhanced child protective investigation, includin…

Any person in charge of a hospital or similar institution, or any physician or licensed health care professional treating a child may detain that child without the consent of the parents, caregiver, or legal custodian, whether or not additional medical treatment is required, if t…

(1) A child may only be taken into custody:(a) Pursuant to the provisions of this part, based upon sworn testimony, either before or after a petition is filed; or(b) By a law enforcement officer, or an authorized agent of the department, if the officer or authorized agent has pro…

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—(a) The Legislature finds that every child who is in out-of-home care has the goal of finding a permanent home, whether achieved by reunifying the child with his or her parents or finding another permanent connection, such as adoption or legal…

(1) Unless ordered by the court under this chapter, a child taken into custody shall not be placed in a shelter prior to a court hearing unless there is probable cause to believe that:(a) The child has been abused, neglected, or abandoned, or is suffering from or is in imminent d…

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature finds that it is a basic tenet of child welfare practice and the law that a child be placed in the least restrictive, most family-like setting available in close proximity to the home of his or her parents which meets the needs…

(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—(a) The Legislature finds that services for children and families are most effective when delivered in the context of a single integrated multidisciplinary team staffing that includes the child, his or her family, natural and community supports, and profes…

The department shall contract for the development of model placement transition plans and related explanatory material that may be the basis for developing individualized transition plans for children in out-of-home care who are changing placements. Such plans must provide specif…

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—(a) The Legislature finds that many children in out-of-home care experience multiple changes in placement, and those transitions often result in trauma not only for the child but also for caregivers, families, siblings, and all professionals i…

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—(a) The Legislature finds that sibling relationships can provide a significant source of continuity throughout a child’s life and are likely to be the longest relationships that most individuals experience. Further, the placement of siblings together can…

(1) When any child is removed from the home and maintained in an out-of-home placement, the department is authorized to have a medical screening performed on the child without authorization from the court and without consent from a parent or legal custodian. Such medical screenin…

(1) At any stage in a dependency proceeding, any party may request the court to refer the parties to mediation in accordance with chapter 44 and rules and procedures developed by the Supreme Court.(2) A court may refer the parties to mediation. When such services are available, t…

(1) The Legislature finds that the design and delivery of child welfare services should be directed by the principle that the health and safety of children, including the freedom from abuse, abandonment, or neglect, is of paramount concern and, therefore, establishes the followin…

(1) To provide the best care to children, the Legislature establishes as goals for the department to treat foster parents, kinship caregivers, and nonrelative caregivers with dignity, respect, and trust while ensuring delivery of child welfare services is focused on the best inte…

(1) FINDINGS AND INTENT.—(a) The Legislature finds that every day parents make important decisions about their child’s participation in activities and that caregivers for children in out-of-home care are faced with making the same decisions for a child in their care.(b) The Legis…

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—(a) The Legislature finds that the use of a specialized team that includes an attorney, a social worker, and a parent-peer specialist, also known as a multidisciplinary legal representation model program, in dependency judicial matters is effective in re…

(1) All proceedings seeking an adjudication that a child is dependent shall be initiated by the filing of a petition by an attorney for the department, or any other person who has knowledge of the facts alleged or is informed of them and believes that they are true.(2) The purpos…

(1) Unless parental rights have been terminated, all parents must be notified of all proceedings or hearings involving the child. Notice in cases involving shelter hearings and hearings resulting from medical emergencies must be provided in the manner most likely to result in act…

(1) If the identity or location of a parent is unknown and a petition for dependency or shelter is filed, the court shall conduct under oath the following inquiry of the parent or legal custodian who is available, or, if no parent or legal custodian is available, of any relative …

(1)(a)1. If both parents of a child are deceased or the last known living parent of a child is deceased and a legal custodian has not been appointed for the child through a probate or guardianship proceeding, then an attorney for the department or any other person who has knowled…

(1) At any time after a protective investigation has been initiated pursuant to part III of this chapter, the court, upon the request of the department, a law enforcement officer, the state attorney, or other responsible person, or upon its own motion, may, if there is reasonable…

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 or other pleading may be pleaded orally before the court or filed in writing as any such person may choose. Notwithstandin…

(1) When a child has been sheltered by order of the court, an arraignment hearing must be held no later than 28 days after the shelter hearing, or within 7 days after the date of filing of the dependency petition if a demand for early filing has been made by any party, for the pa…

(1)(a) The adjudicatory hearing shall be held as soon as practicable after the petition for dependency is filed and in accordance with the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, but no later than 30 days after the arraignment.(b) Adjudicatory hearings shall be conducted by the judg…

(1) As used in this section, the term:(a) “Eligible for long-term foster care” means that reunification with a child’s parent is not an appropriate option for permanency for the child.(b) “May be eligible for special immigrant juvenile status under federal law” means:1. The child…

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section to:(a) Provide for the establishment of procedures and protocols that serve to advance the continued safety of children by acknowledging the valued resource uniquely available through grandparents, relatives of chil…

(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:(a) “Kinship care” means the full-time care of a child placed in out-of-home care by the court in the home of a relative or fictive kin.(b) “Kinship navigator program” means a program designed to ensure that kinship caregivers ar…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a maternal or paternal grandparent as well as a stepgrandparent is entitled to reasonable visitation with his or her grandchild who has been adjudicated a dependent child and taken from the physical custody of the parent unless the cour…

(1) Any party to the proceeding who is affected by an order of the court, or the department may appeal to the appropriate district court of appeal within the time and in the manner prescribed by the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure. Appointed counsel shall be compensated as p…

(1) A disposition hearing shall be conducted by the court, if the court finds that the facts alleged in the petition for dependency were proven in the adjudicatory hearing, or if the parents or legal custodians have consented to the finding of dependency or admitted the allegatio…

(1) The court may change the temporary legal custody or the conditions of protective supervision at a postdisposition hearing, without the necessity of another adjudicatory hearing.(2)(a) At any time before a child is residing in the permanent placement approved at the permanency…

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—(a) The Legislature finds that it is a basic tenet of child welfare practice and the law that a child be placed in the least restrictive, most family-like setting available in close proximity to the home of his or her parents which meets the n…

(1) Except as provided in s. 39.407 or s. 985.801, a dependent child 6 years of age or older who is suspected of being or has been found to be a victim of commercial sexual exploitation as defined in s. 409.016 must be assessed, and the department must conduct a multidisciplinary…