Chapter 48, CHILDREN’S CODE

48.427 Dispositions. (1) Any party may present evidence relevant to the issue of disposition, including expert testimony, and may make alternative dispositional recommendations to the court. After receiving any evidence related to the disposition, the court shall enter one of the…

48.43 Court orders; contents and effect; review. (1) The court shall enter a judgment setting forth its findings and disposition in accordance with s. 48.426 in an order implementing the disposition chosen. If the court dismisses the petition under s. 48.427 (2), the order shall …

48.432 Access to medical information. (1) In this section: (a) “Adoptee” means a person who has been adopted in this state with the consent of his or her birth parent or parents before February 1, 1982. (ag) “Agency” means a county department or a licensed child welfare agency. (…

48.433 Access to identifying information about parents. (1) In this section: (a) “Agency” has the meaning given under s. 48.432 (1) (ag). (b) “Birth parent” has the meaning given under s. 48.432 (1) (am). (2) Any birth parent whose rights have been terminated in this state at any…

48.434 Release of identifying information by an agency when authorization is granted. (1) In this section: (a) “Adoptive parent” means a person who has adopted a child in this state or who has adopted in another state a child who was placed for adoption with that person in this s…

48.435 Custody of children. The mother of a nonmarital child has legal custody of the child unless the court grants legal custody to another person or transfers legal custody to an agency. History: 1979 c. 330; 1983 a. 447.

48.437 Change in placement; posttermination of parental rights. (1) REQUEST BY GUARDIAN OR PROSECUTOR. (a) Notice; information required. 1. The agency appointed as the guardian of a child who is subject to a guardianship order under s. 48.427 (3m) (a) 1. to 4., (am), or (b), the …

48.44 Jurisdiction over persons 17 or older. The court has jurisdiction over persons 17 years of age or older as provided under ss. 48.133, 48.355 (4), 48.357 (6), 48.365 (5), and 48.45 and as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter. History: 1971 c. 213 s. 5; 1975 c. 39;…

48.45 Orders applicable to adults. (1) (a) If in the hearing of a case of a child alleged to be in a condition described in s. 48.13 it appears that any person 17 years of age or older has been guilty of contributing to, encouraging, or tending to cause by any act or omission, su…

48.46 New evidence; relief from judgment terminating parental rights. (1) Except as provided in subs. (1m), (2), and (3), the child whose status is adjudicated by the court, the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of that child, the guardian ad litem of an unborn child whose sta…

48.465 Motion for postdisposition relief and appeal. (1) APPEAL BY RESPONDENT. A motion for postdisposition relief from a final order or judgment by a person subject to this chapter shall be made in the time and manner provided in ss. 809.30 to 809.32. An appeal from a final orde…

48.468 Purpose of department. The purpose of the department is to focus on integrating the child welfare, child care, and child support services provided in this state and the services provided under the Wisconsin Works program and on increasing collaboration and efficiency in pr…

48.47 Duties of department. The department shall do all of the following: (3) TRUSTEE DUTY. When ordered by the court, act as trustee of funds paid for the support of any child if appointed by the court or a circuit court commissioner under s. 767.82 (7). (4) EDUCATION AND PREVEN…

48.48 Authority of department. The department shall have authority: (1) To promote the enforcement of the laws relating to nonmarital children, children in need of protection or services including developmentally disabled children and unborn children in need of protection or serv…

48.481 Grants for children’s community programs. From the appropriation under s. 20.437 (1) (bc), the department shall distribute the following grants for children’s community programs: (1) FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT CONTINUATION. (a) The department shall distribute foster care contin…

48.485 Transfer of Indian children to department for adoption. (1) If the department accepts guardianship or legal custody or both from a tribal court under s. 48.48 (3m), the department shall seek a permanent adoptive placement for the child or seek to enter into a subsidized gu…

48.487 Tribal family services. 48.487(1m)(1m) Tribal family services grants. From the appropriation account under s. 20.437 (1) (js), the department may distribute tribal family services grants to the elected governing bodies of the Indian tribes in this state. An elected governi…

48.52 Facilities for care of children and adult expectant mothers in care of department. (1) FACILITIES MAINTAINED OR USED FOR CHILDREN. The department may maintain or use the following facilities for children in its care: (a) Receiving homes to be used for the temporary care of …

48.526 Community youth and family aids. (1) PROCEDURES. The department shall develop procedures for the implementation of this section and standards for the development and delivery of community-based juvenile delinquency-related ser- vices, as defined in s. 46.011 (1c), and shal…

48.527 Community youth and family aids; bonus for county facilities. From the appropriation under s. 20.437 (1) (ck), the department shall allocate an amount equal to 15 percent of a county’s allocation in the preceding fiscal year under s. 48.526 or $750,000, whichever is less, …

48.528 Community intervention program. (1) In each fiscal year, the department shall distribute the amount appropriated under s. 20.437 (1) (cm) to counties for early intervention services for first offenders and for intensive community-based intervention services for seriously c…

48.545 Brighter futures initiative. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Nonprofit corporation” means a nonstock, nonprofit corporation organized under ch. 181. (b) “Public agency” means a county, city, village, town or school district or an agency of this state or of a county,…

48.546 Family treatment court grant program. (1) The department may make grants available to counties and Indian tribes to enable them to establish and operate evidence-based programs to develop intake and court procedures that screen, assess, and provide dispositional alternativ…

48.547 Alcohol and other drug abuse program. (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. The legislature finds that the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs by children and the expectant mothers of unborn children is a state responsibility of statewide dimension. The legislature re…

48.548 Multidisciplinary screen and assessment criteria. The department shall make the multidisciplinary screen developed under s. 48.547 (3) and the assessment criteria developed under s. 48.547 (4) available to all counties. History: 1987 a. 339.

48.55 State adoption information exchange and state adoption center. (1) The department shall establish a state adoption information exchange for the purpose of finding adoptive homes for children with special needs who do not have permanent homes and a state adoption center for …

48.56 Child welfare services in counties having populations of less than 750,000. (1) Each county having a population of less than 750,000 shall provide child welfare services through its county department. (2) Each county department shall employ personnel who devote all or part …

48.561 Child welfare services in a county having a population of 750,000 or more. (1) The department shall provide child welfare services in a county having a population of 750,000 or more. (2) The department shall employ personnel in a county having a population of 750,000 or mo…

48.562 Milwaukee child welfare partnership council. (1) The Milwaukee child welfare partnership council shall do all of the following: (ag) Hold at least one public hearing each year at which the council shall encourage public participation and solicit public input regarding the …

48.563 Children and family aids funding. 48.563(1)(1) Distribution limits. 48.563(1)(a)(a) Within the limits of available federal funds and of the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (b), (cx), (km), and (o), the department shall distribute funds for children and family services t…

48.565 Carry-over of children and family aids funds. (1) Funds allocated by the department under s. 48.569 (1) (d) but not spent or encumbered by counties by December 31 of each year lapse to the general fund on the succeeding January 1 unless carried forward to the next calendar…

48.568 Allocation of federal funds for children and family aids and child welfare. Subject to s. 48.563 (1) (b) and (c), if the department receives unanticipated federal foster care and adoption assistance payments under 42 USC 670 to 679a and it proposes to allocate the unantici…

48.569 Distribution of children and family aids funds to counties. (1) (am) The department shall reimburse each county from the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (b), (cx), (km), and (o) for children and family services as approved by the department under ss. 46.22 (1) (b) 2. f.…

48.57 Powers and duties of department and county departments providing child welfare services. (1) Each county department shall administer and expend such amounts as may be necessary out of any moneys which may be appropriated for child welfare purposes by the county board of sup…

48.576 Shelter care facilities; general supervision and inspection by department. (1) GENERALLY. The de- Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats. 124 partment shall investigate and supervise all shelter care facilities and familiarize itself with all the circumstances affecting their management…

48.578 Shelter care facilities; establishment, approval, inspection. (1) The department shall fix reasonable standards and regulations for the design, construction, repair, and maintenance of shelter care facilities, with respect to their adequacy and fitness for the needs that t…

48.58 County children’s home in populous counties. Any existing county children’s home in counties with a population of 750,000 or more may do any of the following: (2) Provide care for children in need of protection or services, and delinquent juveniles referred by the county de…

48.59 Examination and records. (1) The county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department or an agency under contract with the department shall investigate the personal and family history and environment of any child transferred to its legal …

48.599 Definitions. In this subchapter: (1g) “Child” means a person under 18 years of age. For pur- poses of the authority to provide care and maintenance for a child placed in a residential care center for children and youth operated by a child welfare agency and of counting the…

48.60 Child welfare agencies licensed. (1) No person may receive children, with or without transfer of legal custody, to provide care and maintenance for 75 days in any consecutive 12 months’ period for 4 or more such children at any one time unless that person obtains a license …

48.61 Powers and duties of child welfare agencies. A child welfare agency shall have authority: (1) To accept legal or physical custody of children transferred to it by the court under s. 48.355. (2) To contract with any parent or guardian or other person for the supervision or c…

48.615 Child welfare agency licensing fees. (1) (a) Except as provided in par. (e), before the department may issue a license under s. 48.60 (1) to a child welfare agency that regularly provides care and maintenance for children within the confines of a residential care center fo…

48.619 Definition. In this subchapter, “child” means a person under 18 years of age. For purposes of the authority to provide care and maintenance for a child and of counting the number of children for whom a foster home or group home may provide care and maintenance, “child” als…

48.62 Licensing of foster homes; rates. (1) Any person who receives, with or without transfer of legal custody, 4 or fewer children or, if necessary to enable a sibling group to remain together, 6 or fewer children or, if the department promulgates rules permitting a different nu…

48.623 Subsidized guardianships. (1) ELIGIBILITY. A county department or, as provided in sub. (3) (a), an Indian tribe or the department shall provide monthly subsidized guardianship payments in the amount specified in sub. (3) (b) to a guardian of a child under s. 48.977 (2) or …

48.625 Licensing of group homes; fees. (1) Any person who receives, with or without transfer of legal custody, 5 to 8 children, not including children who under sub. (1m) are not counted toward that number, to provide care and maintenance for those children shall obtain a license…

48.627 Foster parent insurance and liability. (2) (a) Before the department, a county department, or a licensed child welfare agency may issue, renew, or continue a foster home license, the licensing agency shall require the applicant to furnish proof satisfactory to the licensin…

48.63 Restrictions on placements. (1) (a) Acting under court order or voluntary agreement, the child’s parent, guardian, or Indian custodian, or the department, the department of corrections, a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23, or a child welfare agency licensed…

48.64 Placement of children in out-of-home care. (1) DEFINITION. In this section, “agency” means the department, the department of corrections, a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23, or a licensed child welfare agency authorized to place children in foster homes, g…

48.645 Foster care aid. (1) DEFINITION. In this section, “dependent child” means a child under the age of 18 or, if the child is a full-time student at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent and is reasonably expected to complete the program before reaching …