Wis. Stat. § 48.33 — WI Code / Chapter 48 / Section 48.33
Court reports.
Status: in_force

(1) Report required. Before the disposition of a child or unborn child adjudged to be in need of protection or services the court shall designate an agency, as defined in s. 48.38 (1) (a) , to submit a report which shall contain all of the following:

(a) The social history of the child or of the expectant mother of the unborn child.

(b) A recommended plan of rehabilitation or treatment and care for the child or expectant mother which is based on the investigation conducted by the agency and any report resulting from an examination or assessment under s. 48.295 , which employs the least restrictive means available to accomplish the objectives of the plan, and, in cases of child abuse or neglect or unborn child abuse, which also includes an assessment of risks to the physical safety and physical health of the child or unborn child and a description of a plan for controlling the risks.

(c) A description of the specific services or continuum of services which the agency is recommending that the court order for the child or family or for the expectant mother of the unborn child, the persons or agencies that would be primarily responsible for providing those services, the identity of the person or agency that would provide case management or coordination of services, if any, and, in the case of a child adjudged to be in need of protection or services, whether or not the child should receive a coordinated services plan of care.

(d) A statement of the objectives of the plan, including any behavior changes desired of the child or expectant mother and the academic, social and vocational skills needed by the child or the expectant mother.

(e) A plan for the provision of educational services to the child, prepared after consultation with the staff of the school in which the child is enrolled or the last school in which the child was enrolled.

(f) If the agency is recommending that the court order the child’s parent, guardian or legal custodian or the expectant mother to participate in mental health treatment, anger management, individual or family counseling or parent or prenatal development training and education, a statement as to the availability of those services and as to the availability of funding for those services.

(2) Home placement reports. A report recommending that the child remain in his or her home or that the expectant mother remain in her home may be presented orally at the dispositional hearing if all parties consent. A report that is presented orally shall be transcribed and made a part of the court record.

(4) Other out-of-home placements. A report recommending placement of an adult expectant mother outside of her home shall be in writing. A report recommending placement of a child in a foster home, group home, or residential care center for children and youth, in the home of a relative other than a parent, in the home of like-kin, in the home of a guardian under s. 48.977 (2) , or in a supervised independent living arrangement shall be in writing and shall include all of the following:

(a) A permanency plan prepared under s. 48.38 .

(b) A recommendation for an amount of child support to be paid by either or both of the child’s parents or for referral to the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) for the establishment of child support.

(c) Specific information showing that continued placement of the child in his or her home would be contrary to the welfare of the child, specific information showing that the county department, the department, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, or the agency primarily responsible for providing services to the child has made reasonable efforts to prevent the removal of the child from the home, while assuring that the child’s health and safety are the paramount concerns, unless any of the circumstances specified in s. 48.355 (2d) (b) 1. to 5. applies, and, if a permanency plan has previously been prepared for the child, specific information showing that the county department, department, or agency has made reasonable efforts to achieve the permanency goal of the child’s permanency plan, including, if appropriate, through an out-of-state placement.

(cm) A statement indicating whether the recommended placement is certified under s. 48.675 .

(cr)

1. If the report recommends placement of a child in a residential care center for children and youth, group home, or shelter care facility certified under s. 48.675 , except as provided in subd. 2. , the report shall contain the results of the standardized assessment and the recommendation of the qualified individual who conducted the standardized assessment, including all of the following:

a. Whether the proposed placement will provide the child with the most effective and appropriate level of care in the least restrictive environment.

b. How the placement is consistent with the short-term and long-term goals for the child, as specified in the permanency plan.

c. The reasons why the child’s needs can or cannot be met by the child’s family or in a foster home. A shortage or lack of foster homes is not an acceptable reason for determining that the child’s needs cannot be met in a foster home.

d. The placement preference of the family permanency team under s. 48.38 (3m) and, if that preference is not the placement recommended by the qualified individual, why that recommended placement is not preferred.

2. If the information under subd. 1. is not available at the time of the report, the agency shall submit it by the date of the dispositional hearing or, if it is not available on that date, no later than 30 days after the date on which the placement was made.

(d)

1. If the child has one or more siblings, as defined in s. 48.38 (4) (br) 1. , who have been removed from the home or for whom an out-of-home placement is recommended, specific information showing that the county department, department in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, or agency primarily responsible for providing services to the child has made reasonable efforts to place the child in a placement that enables the sibling group to remain together, unless the county department, department, or agency recommends that the child and his or her siblings not be placed in a joint placement, in which case the report shall include specific information showing that a joint placement would be contrary to the safety or well-being of the child or any of those siblings and the specific information required under subd. 2.

2. If a recommendation is made that the child and his or her siblings not be placed in a joint placement, specific information showing that the county department, department, or agency has made reasonable efforts to provide for frequent visitation or other ongoing interaction between the child and the siblings, unless the county department, department, or agency recommends that such visitation or interaction not be provided, in which case the report shall include specific information showing that such visitation or interaction would be contrary to the safety or well-being of the child or any of those siblings.

(dm) If the agency knows or has reason to know that the child is an Indian child who is being removed from the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian, a description of any efforts undertaken to determine whether the child is an Indian child; specific information showing that continued custody of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child under s. 48.028 (4) (d) 1. ; specific information showing that active efforts under s. 48.028 (4) (d) 2. have been made to prevent the breakup of the Indian child’s family and that those efforts have proved unsuccessful; a statement as to whether the out-of-home care placement recommended is in compliance with the order of placement preference under s. 48.028 (7) (b) or, if applicable, s. 48.028 (7) (c) ; and, if the recommended placement is not in compliance with that order, specific information showing good cause, as described in s. 48.028 (7) (e) , for departing from that order.

(4m) Support recommendations; information to parents. In making a recommendation for an amount of child support under sub. (4) , the agency shall consider the factors that the court considers under s. 49.345 (14) (c) for deviation from the percentage standard. Prior to the dispositional hearing under s. 48.335 , the agency shall provide the child’s parent with all of the following:

(a) A copy of its recommendation for child support.

(b) A written explanation of how the parent may request that the court modify the amount of child support under s. 49.345 (14) (c) .

(c) A written explanation of how the parent may request a revision under s. 48.363 in the amount of child support ordered by the court under s. 48.355 (2) (b) 4.

(5) Identity of foster parent; confidentiality. If the report recommends placement in a foster home, and the name of the foster parent is not available at the time the report is filed, the agency shall provide the court and the child’s parent or guardian with the name and address of the foster parent within 21 days after the dispositional order is entered, except that the court may order the information withheld from the child’s parent or guardian if the court finds that disclosure would result in imminent danger to the child or to the foster parent. After notifying the child’s parent or guardian, the court shall hold a hearing prior to ordering the information withheld.

History: 1977 c. 354 ; 1979 c. 300 ; 1983 a. 399 ; 1987 a. 27 , 339 ; 1989 a. 31 , 41 , 107 ; 1993 a. 377 , 385 , 446 , 481 ; 1995 a. 27 , 77 , 201 ; 1997 a. 27 , 292 ; 2001 a. 59 , 109 ; 2005 a. 25 ; 2007 a. 20 ; 2009 a. 28 , 79 , 94 , 185 , 334 ; 2011 a. 181 , 258 ; 2011 a. 260 s. 80 ; 2013 a. 165 , 334 ; 2015 a. 172 ; 2021 a. 42 ; 2023 a. 119 .