Title VI, HUMAN SERVICES (Ch. 216 - 255A)

The attorney general may, on the attorney general’s own initiative, institute any criminal and civil actions and proceedings under this subchapter , at whatever stage of placement necessary, to enforce the interstate compact on the placement of children, including, but not limite…

The state of Iowa through its courts and agencies is hereby authorized to enter into interstate compacts on juveniles in behalf of this state with any other contracting state which legally joins therein in substantially the following form and the contracting states solemnly agree…

1. For a juvenile under the jurisdiction of this state who is subject to the interstate compact for juveniles under section 232.173 , the confinement of the juvenile in an institution located within another compacting state shall be as provided under the compact. 2. This subsecti…

1. Article I — Purpose. a. The compacting states to this interstate compact recognize that each state is responsible for the proper supervision or return of juveniles, delinquents, and status offenders who are on probation or parole and who have absconded, escaped, or run away fr…

1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section , unless the context otherwise requires: a. “Decategorization governance board” or “governance board” means the group that enters into and implements a decategorization project agreement. b. “Decategorization project” means the cou…

1. A child may be taken into custody: a. By order of the court. b. For a delinquent act pursuant to the laws relating to arrest. c. By a peace officer, when the peace officer has reasonable grounds to believe the child has run away from the child’s parents, guardian, or custodian…

1. Contingent on a specific appropriation for juvenile delinquent graduated sanctions services, juvenile court services shall do the following: a. Develop or expand programs providing specific life skills and interpersonal skills training for adjudicated delinquent youth who pose…

The annual state goal for children placed in foster care that is funded under the federal Social Security Act, Tit. IV-E, is that not more than fifteen percent of the children will be in a foster care placement for a period of more than twenty-four months. 2005 Acts, ch 175, §101…

As used in this chapter unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Abandonment of a child” means the relinquishment or surrender, without reference to any particular person, of the parental rights, duties, or privileges inherent in the parent-child relationship. Proof of abandonm…

1. If a child is taken into custody and not released as provided in section 232.19, subsection 2 , the child shall immediately be taken to a detention or shelter care facility as specified in sections 232.21 or 232.22 . 2. When a child is admitted to a detention or shelter care f…

1. No child shall be placed in shelter care unless one of the following circumstances applies: a. The child has no parent, guardian, custodian, responsible adult relative or other adult approved by the court who will provide proper shelter, care and supervision. b. The child desi…

1. A child shall not be placed in detention unless one of the following conditions is met: a. The child is being held under warrant for another jurisdiction. b. The child is an escapee from a juvenile correctional or penal institution. c. There is probable cause to believe that t…

1. After waiver of a child who will be prosecuted as a youthful offender, the child shall be held in a facility under section 232.22, subsection 3 , paragraph “a” or “b” , unless released in accordance with subsection 2 . 2. a. The court shall determine, at the detention hearing …

1. Any person having knowledge of the facts may file a complaint with the court or its designee alleging that a child has committed a delinquent act. A written record shall be maintained of any oral complaint received. 2. The court or its designee shall refer the complaint to an …

1. The informal adjustment of a complaint is a permissible disposition of a complaint at intake subject to the following conditions: a. The child has admitted the child’s involvement in a delinquent act. b. The intake officer shall advise the child and the child’s parent, guardia…

1. During the pendency of an action under this chapter , a party to the action is estopped from litigating concurrently the custody, guardianship, or placement of a child who is the subject of the action, in a court other than the juvenile court. A district judge, district associ…

1. A formal judicial proceeding to determine whether a child has committed a delinquent act shall be initiated by the filing by the county attorney of a petition alleging that a child has committed a delinquent act. After a petition has been filed, service of a summons requiring …

1. The petition and subsequent court documents shall be entitled as follows: In the interests of .................... , a child. 2. The petition shall be verified and any statements in the petition may be made upon information and belief. 3. The petition shall set forth plainly: …

1. After a petition has been filed the court shall set a time for an adjudicatory hearing and, unless the parties named in subsection 2 voluntarily appear, shall issue a summons requiring the child to appear before the court at a time and place stated and requiring the person who…

1. Any hearings or proceedings under this subchapter subsequent to the filing of a petition shall not take place without the presence of one or both of the child’s parents, guardian, or custodian except that a hearing or proceeding may take place without such presence if the pare…

At any time during the proceedings, the court, on the motion of any of the parties or upon the court’s own motion, may exclude the public from hearings under this subchapter if the court determines that the possibility of damage or harm to the child outweighs the public’s interes…

1. During an action under subchapter III , child in need of assistance proceedings, or subchapter IV , termination of parent-child relationship proceedings, the court may, on its own motion or that of any party, require the child and established father of the child to submit to b…

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter , and for the purposes of establishing a parental liability obligation for a child under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, a support obligation shall be established pursuant to section 234.39 . 92 Acts, ch 1195, §302 ; 94 …

When it appears during the course of any hearing or proceeding that some action or remedy other than those indicated by the application or pleading is appropriate, the court, with the consent of all necessary parties, may proceed to hear and determine the additional or other issu…

Stenographic notes or mechanical or electronic recordings shall be taken of all court hearings held pursuant to this subchapter unless waived by the parties. The child shall not be competent to waive the reporting requirement, but waiver may be made for the child by the child’s c…

1. Continuances in juvenile delinquency proceedings may be granted by the court only for good cause shown on the record if the child is being held in detention. 2. Where the child requests a continuance of proceedings, the court, in an order granting the continuance, may suspend …

1. A written answer to a delinquency petition need not be filed by the child, but any matters which might be set forth in an answer or other pleading may be filed in writing or pleaded orally before the court. 2. The county attorney and the child’s counsel may mutually consider a…

1. a. A hearing shall be held within two working days of the time of the child’s admission to a shelter care facility and within one working day of the time of a child’s admission to a detention facility. If the hearing is not held within the time specified in this paragraph, exc…

1. After the filing of a petition which alleges that a child has committed a delinquent act on the basis of an alleged commission of a public offense and before an adjudicatory hearing on the merits of the petition is held, the county attorney or the child may file a motion reque…

1. Once jurisdiction over a child has been waived by the juvenile court as provided in section 232.45 , for the alleged commission of a felony, and once a conviction is entered by the district court, for all other offenses, the clerk of the juvenile court shall immediately send a…

1. a. At any time after the filing of a petition and prior to entry of an order of adjudication pursuant to section 232.47 , the court may suspend the proceedings on motion of the county attorney or the child’s counsel, enter a consent decree, and continue the case under terms an…

1. If a child denies the allegations of the petition, that child may be found to be delinquent only after an adjudicatory hearing conducted in accordance with the provisions of this section . 2. The court shall hear and adjudicate all cases involving a petition alleging a child t…

1. The court shall not make a disposition of the matter following the entry of an order of adjudication pursuant to section 232.47 until a predisposition report has been submitted to and considered by the court. 2. After a petition is filed, the court shall direct a juvenile cour…

1. a. Any time after the entry of an order of adjudication under section 232.47 , the court may, after a hearing, order a physical assessment or behavioral health evaluation of a child if the court finds that a physical assessment or a behavioral health evaluation is necessary to…

The court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the proceedings for the granting of an order for waiver of the notification requirements relating to the performance of an abortion on a minor pursuant to section 135L.3 . 96 Acts, ch 1011, §10 ; 96 Acts, ch 1174, §6

1. As soon as practicable following the entry of an order of adjudication pursuant to section 232.47 or notification that the child has been placed on youthful offender status pursuant to section 907.3A , the court shall hold a dispositional hearing in order to determine what dis…

1. If the evidence received at an adjudicatory or a dispositional hearing indicates that the child is mentally ill, the court may direct the juvenile court officer or the department to initiate proceedings or to assist the child’s parent or guardian to initiate civil commitment p…

1. Pursuant to a hearing as provided in section 232.50 , the court shall enter the least restrictive dispositional order appropriate in view of the seriousness of the delinquent act, the child’s culpability as indicated by the circumstances of the particular case, the age of the …

1. In addition to any other order of the juvenile court, a child who may be in need of treatment, as determined under section 232.8 , may be ordered to participate in a physical assessment or behavioral health evaluation approved by the juvenile court. The court may order the chi…

1. Any dispositional order entered by the court pursuant to section 232.52 shall remain in force for an indeterminate period or until the child becomes eighteen years of age unless otherwise specified by the court or unless sooner terminated pursuant to the provisions of section …

1. At any time prior to its expiration, a dispositional order may be terminated, modified, or vacated and another dispositional order substituted therefor only in accordance with the following provisions: a. With respect to a dispositional order made pursuant to section 232.52, s…

1. An adjudication or disposition in a proceeding under this subchapter shall not be deemed a conviction of a crime and shall not impose any civil disabilities or operate to disqualify the child in any civil service application or appointment. 2. a. Adjudication and disposition p…

The juvenile court shall deliver a report, which includes an assessment of the child by a juvenile court officer after consulting with the judicial district department of correctional services, to the district court prior to the eighteenth birthday of a child who has been placed …

1. For the purposes of this subchapter , unless the context otherwise requires, “reasonable efforts” means the efforts made to prevent permanent removal of a child from the child’s home and to encourage reunification of the child with the child’s parents and family. Reasonable ef…

1. If an order entered pursuant to this subchapter for an out-of-home placement of a child includes a determination that continuation of the child in the child’s home is contrary to the child’s welfare, the court shall review the child’s continued placement by holding a permanenc…

The court may exercise jurisdiction over adoption and termination of parental rights proceedings under chapters 600 and 600A . 2000 Acts, ch 1145, §1