FAMILY WITH SERVICE NEEDS PARENTAL NOTICE JD-JM-120A Rev. 5-16 C.G.S. §§ 46b-120; 46b-149 STATE OF CONNECTICUT SUPERIOR COURT JUVENILE MATTERS www.jud.ct.gov As a parent or guardian, making the decision to refer your child to the court as a child from a Family with Service Needs (FWSN) may be difficult, but may be necessary when you believe your child needs help for certain behaviors. The FWSN statute applies to children (up to age 18) who are: Truant, Defiant of School Rules, or demonstrate Out of Control Behavior. The FWSN process is intended to assist you and your child to resolve the issues related to the behavior of the child. You, as the parent or guardian, working with the Probation Officer and other people, are key to a successful outcome. To help you make an informed decision about filing a FWSN complaint, the following information is for parents and guardians. After you have filed a FWSN complaint you can expect: · In some cases a referral will be made to a Child Youth Family Center for handling. The Center, operated by a private agency, provides crisis intervention, short term respite, assessment and evaluation. This service is designed to work with the child and family to address the issues which led to a parent referring the child to the court. · One or more meetings with a Juvenile Probation Officer (JPO) to assess your family's needs. You may be asked to sign Releases of Information allowing the Juvenile Probation Officer to contact your child's school and other agencies that you are working with now, or have worked with in the past. Sometimes, referrals for clinical assessments are also necessary. You and your child may have to see a licensed professional. · In some cases, services needed by your child may be met by a referral to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) for Voluntary Services. DCF may also become involved with your family if the court believes your child needs to be placed out of the home and commits your child to the custody of DCF. · Before any court hearing or court order, your child has the right to have an attorney represent him or her. If you meet financial eligibility guidelines, your child will be provided a state-paid attorney by the Office of the Chief Public Defender. If you do not meet the financial guidelines, you will have to pay for your child's attorney. · In general there will be no, or little cost, to you for the services provided to you and your child. You may be responsible for a "co-pay'' based on your insurance coverage. If your child needs a court ordered inpatient hospitalization or residential placement, you may have to pay for some of those costs. · All the practices and procedures of the Juvenile Probation Officers are regulated by law and Judicial Branch policies. Since they work within the framework of the law, they can only act within permitted guidelines. Sometimes, these may conflict with your wishes or desires in the case, but you should understand that every effort is made to work with you and to help your child and family. · The effort to resolve the problems always requires the on-going commitment of the parents or guardian to work with professionals. You should be prepared to make this commitment before making a referral to the court. If you have any questions before filing this complaint, you may ask to speak with the Probation Supervisor. If you do not have other questions, please sign below to indicate that you have read this notice and understand the information in it. Signed (Parent/Guardian) Date Child's name The Judicial Branch of the State of Connecticut complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need a reasonable accommodation in accordance with the ADA, contact a court clerk or an ADA contact person listed at www.jud.ct.gov/ADA. American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com