Fla. Stat. § 984.20 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 984 / Section 984.20
984.20 Hearings for child in need of services cases.
Status: in_force

(1) ARRAIGNMENT HEARING. — (a) The clerk shall set a date for an arraignment hearing within a reasonable time after the date of the filing of the child in need of services petition. The court shall advise the child and the parent, legal guardian, or custodian of the right to counsel as provided in s. 984.07. The hearing shall be held for the child and the parent, legal guardian, or custodian to admit, deny, or consent to findings that a child is in need of services as alleged in the petition. If the child and the parent, legal guardian, or custodian admit or consent to the findings in the petition, the court shall adjudicate the child a child in need of services and proceed as set forth in the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure. However, if either the child or the parent, legal guardian, or custodian denies any of the allegations of the petition, the court shall hold an adjudicatory hearing within a reasonable time after the date of the arraignment hearing. (b) The court may grant a continuance of the arraignment hearing if the child or the parent, legal guardian, or custodian requests a continuance to obtain an attorney. The case shall be rescheduled for an arraignment hearing within a reasonable period of time to allow for consultation. (c) If at the arraignment hearing the child and the parent, legal guardian, or custodian consents or admits to the allegations in the petition and the court determines that the petition meets the requirements of s. 984.15(5), the court shall proceed to hold a disposition hearing at the earliest practicable time that will allow for the completion of a predisposition study. (d) Failure of a person served with notice to appear at the arraignment hearing constitutes the person’s consent to the adjudication of the child as a child in need of services. The document containing the notice to respond or appear must contain, in type as large as the balance of the document, the following or substantially similar language: FAILURE TO APPEAR AT THE ARRAIGNMENT HEARING CONSTITUTES CONSENT TO THE ADJUDICATION OF THIS CHILD AS A CHILD IN NEED OF SERVICES AND MAY RESULT IN THE COURT ENTERING AN ORDER OF DISPOSITION AND PLACING THE CHILD INTO SHELTER. If a person appears for the arraignment hearing and the court orders that person to appear, either physically or through audio-video communication technology, at the adjudicatory hearing for the child in need of services case, stating the date, time, place, and, if applicable, the instructions for appearance through audio-video communication technology, of the adjudicatory hearing, that person’s failure to appear for the scheduled adjudicatory hearing constitutes consent to adjudication of the child as a child in need of services.

(2) ADJUDICATORY HEARING. — (a) The adjudicatory hearing shall be held as soon as practicable after the petition for a child in need of services is filed and in accordance with the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, but reasonable delay for the purpose of investigation, discovery, or procuring counsel or witnesses shall, whenever practicable, be granted. (b) Adjudicatory hearings shall be conducted by the judge without a jury, applying the rules of evidence in use in civil cases and adjourning the hearings from time to time as necessary. In an adjudicatory hearing, a preponderance of evidence shall be required to establish that the child is in need of services. If the court finds the allegations are proven by a preponderance of evidence and the child is a child in need of services, the court shall enter an order of adjudication. (c) All hearings, except as hereinafter provided, shall be open to the public, and no person shall be excluded therefrom except on special order of the judge who, in his or her discretion, may close any hearing to the public when the public interest or the welfare of the child, in his or her opinion, is best served by so doing. Hearings involving more than one child may be held simultaneously when the several children involved are related to each other or were involved in the same case. The child and the parent, legal guardian, or custodian of the child may be examined separately and apart from each other.

(3) DISPOSITION HEARING. — (a) At the disposition hearing, the court shall receive and consider a predisposition study, which shall be in writing and be presented by an authorized agent of the department or its provider. The predisposition study shall cover: 1. All treatment and services that the parent, legal guardian, or custodian and child received. 2. The love, affection, and other emotional ties existing between the family and the child. 3. The capacity and disposition of the parents, legal guardian, or custodian to provide the child with food, clothing, medical care or other remedial care recognized and permitted under the laws of this state in lieu of medical care, and other material needs. 4. The length of time that the child has lived in a stable, satisfactory environment and the desirability of maintaining continuity. 5. The permanence, as a family unit, of the existing or proposed custodial home. 6. The moral fitness of the parents, legal guardian, or custodian. 7. The mental and physical health of the family. 8. The home, school, and community record of the child. 9. The reasonable preference of the child, if the court deems the child to be of sufficient intelligence, understanding, and experience to express a preference. 10. Any other factor considered by the court to be relevant. (b) The predisposition study also shall provide the court with documentation regarding: 1. The availability of appropriate prevention, services, and treatment for the parent, legal guardian, custodian, and child to prevent the removal of the child from the home or to reunify the child with the parent, legal guardian, or custodian after removal or to reconcile the problems between the family and the child. 2. The inappropriateness of other prevention, treatment, and services that were available. 3. The efforts by the department to prevent shelter placement of the child or, when applicable, to reunify the parent, legal guardian, or custodian if appropriate services were available. 4. Whether voluntary family services were provided. 5. If the voluntary family services and treatment were provided, whether they were sufficient to meet the needs of the child and the family and to enable the child to remain at home or to be returned home. 6. If the voluntary family services and treatment were not provided, the reasons for such lack of provision. 7. The need for, or appropriateness of, continuing such treatment and services if the child remains in the custody of the parent, legal guardian, or custodian or if the child is placed outside the home. (c) If placement of the child with anyone other than the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian is being considered, the study shall include the designation of a specific length of time as to when custody by the parent, guardian, or custodian shall be reconsidered. (d) A copy of this predisposition study shall be furnished to the person having custody of the child at the time such person is notified of the disposition hearing. (e) After review of the predisposition study and other relevant materials, the court shall hear from the parties and consider all recommendations for court-ordered services, evaluations, treatment, and required actions designed to remedy the child’s truancy, ungovernable behavior, or running away. The court shall enter an order of disposition. Any other relevant and material evidence, including other written or oral reports, may be received by the court in its effort to determine the action to be taken with regard to the child and may be relied upon to the extent of its probative value, even though not competent in an adjudicatory hearing. Except as provided in paragraph (2)(c), this section does not prohibit the publication of proceedings in a hearing.

(4) REVIEW HEARINGS. — (a) The court shall hold a review hearing within 45 days after the disposition hearing. Additional review hearings may be held as necessary, allowing sufficient time for the child and family to work toward compliance with the court orders and monitoring by the case manager. No longer than 90 days may elapse between judicial review hearings. (b) The parent, legal guardian, or custodian and the child shall be noticed to appear for the review hearing. The department must appear at the review hearing. If the parent, legal guardian, or custodian does not appear at a review hearing, or if the court finds good cause to waive the child’s presence, the court may proceed with the hearing and enter orders that affect the child and family accordingly. (c) At the review hearings, the court shall consider the department’s judicial review summary. The court shall close the case if the child has substantially complied with the case plans and court orders and no longer requires continued court supervision, subject to the case being reopened. Upon request of the petitioner, the court may close the case and relinquish jurisdiction. If the child has significantly failed to comply with the case plan or court orders, the child shall continue to be a child in need of services and reviewed by the court as needed. At review hearings, the court may enter further orders to adjust the services case plan to address the family needs and compliance with court orders, including, but not limited to, ordering the child placed in shelter.

History: s. 8, ch. 87-133; s. 238, ch. 95-147; s. 31, ch. 96-398; s. 106, ch. 97-238; s. 10, ch. 97-281; s. 71, ch. 98-280; s. 23, ch. 2025-153.