Juvenile Dependency

Juvenile Dependency handles cases involving children who have been abandoned, abused or neglected. Juvenile records are maintained as confidential under Florida Law.

Forms and Assistance

Dependency

A Caregiver's Guide to Dependency Court
Dependency Benchbook
Dependency/TPR Indigence Packet

Juvenile Dependency FAQ'S (850) 606-4120

If my child has been removed from my care, when will I go to court?

The Department of Children and Families DCFS will notify you of court dates. If you need information regarding any future court date and time of hearing, you may visit our office at 301 S. Monroe Street, Suite 100, Tallahassee, FL. Proper identification is required.

If my child has been removed from my care, who do I contact?

The Department of Children and Families DCFS - (850) 488-0500.

What is a "child in need of services"?

Under Florida Statutes, Chapter 984, a "child in need of services" is a child for whom there is:

  • No pending investigation into an allegation or suspicion of abuse, neglect, or abandonment
  • No pending referral alleging the child is delinquent
  • No current supervision by Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) or DCFS for an adjudication of dependency or delinquency.
The child must also be found by the court:
  • To have persistently run away from the child's parents or legal custodians, despite reasonable efforts of the child, the parents or legal custodians, and appropriate agencies to remedy the conditions contributing to the behavior
  • To be habitually truant from school, while subject to compulsory school attendance, despite reasonable efforts to remedy the situation
  • To have persistently disobeyed the reasonable and lawful demands of the child's parents or legal custodians, and to be beyond their control, despite efforts by the child's parents or legal custodians and appropriate agencies to remedy the conditions contributing to the behavior.

What is a "family in need of services"?

Under Florida Statutes, chapter 984, a "family in need of services" means a family that has a child who is:

  • Running away
  • Persistently disobeying reasonable and lawful demands of the parent or legal custodian and is beyond the control of the parent or legal custodian
  • Habitually truant from school or engaging in other serious behaviors that place the child at risk of future abuse, neglect, or abandonment or at risk of entering the Juvenile justice system.
A family is not eligible to receive services if, at the time of the referral, there is an open investigation into an allegation of abuse, neglect, or abandonment or if the child is currently under supervision by DJJ or DCFS due to an adjudication of dependency or delinquency.

What is a dependent child?

Under Florida Statutes, Chapter 39, a dependent child is one who has been found by a court to:

  • Have been abandoned, abused, or neglected by the child's parent or parents or legal custodians
  • Have been surrendered to the Florida Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) or a licensed child-placing agency for purpose of adoption
  • Have been voluntarily placed with a licensed child-caring agency, a licensed child-placing agency, an adult relative, or DCFS, after which placement a case plan has expired and the parents or legal custodians have failed to comply with the requirements of the plan
  • Have been voluntarily placed with a licensed child-caring agency for the purposes of subsequent adoption, and the parents have signed a consent pursuant to the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure
  • Have no parent or legal custodians capable of providing supervision and care
  • Be at substantial risk of imminent abuse, abandonment, or neglect by the parents or legal custodians.

Where can I get additional information?

  • Click here for other resources

Where can I go to get guardianship of a child who is in my care and has no court intervention involving abandonment or abuse?

  • Contact the Probate Division in our office at (850) 606-4180.
  • Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about Guardianships.