Parental Responsibilities
We need your help to ensure that your child’s needs are being met and to ensure that he is successful in achieving the treatment goals and sanctions in the court order. You can help ensure your child’s success by doing the following:
- Maintain regular contact with your child’s JPO and keep him informed of your child’s successes and struggles while on probation or supervision. The more information the JPO has, the better able we are to meet your child’s needs and help them succeed.
- Cooperate with school officials to help your child stay on task academically. Share concerns of poor attendance, performance, or behavior with your child’s JPO so the right steps can be taken to help your child succeed in school.
- Attend all court proceedings with your child.
- Ensure that you, your child and your family members attend any required counseling or therapy.
- Arrange for your child’s transportation to counseling, employment, community service work sites, and home from the residential commitment program. If transportation is a problem, contact your child’s JPO to discuss transportation options.
- Ensure that your child completes court-ordered goals and sanctions within the established timeframes.
- Provide a home for your child that is safe, nurturing and recognizes your child’s strengths and successes.
If you do not know the whereabouts of your child or you suspect he or she has runaway, call the police immediately and place a missing persons report. Be ready to give all pertinent information including: description, height, weight, date of birth, current address, legal status (Probation, pre-placement supervision, conditional release) date and time last seen. Then, call the assigned Juvenile Probation Officer. The juvenile Probation officer will confirm that the youth is missing and ask the court to issue an Order to Take into Custody. Your child will have a court appearance within 24 hours of the time he or she is apprehended. If your child did not run away, but was gone from the home for a short period of time without permission and has returned, please call law enforcement and your Juvenile Probation Officer to update them of his or her safe return.
When a youth is placed on probation, he or she is assigned a Juvenile Probation Officer (JPO), who monitors compliance with the court-ordered sanctions and services. The court order also specifies that the child’s parent/guardian "shall report violations of this order by the child to the JPO and to the court". Therefore, the Juvenile Probation Officer and the parent/guardian will work together to enforce the court order. If the youth violates the conditions of probation or fails to complete the sanctions imposed by the court, a Violation of Probation will be filed. If the court finds that a violation of probation occurred, it may revoke probation and impose a sentence such as placement in a Department of Juvenile Justice residential facility.
In certain circumstances that your child’s JPO can explain to you, you and your child may be responsible for costs. These costs may include court fees and, if your child is or was in the custody of DJJ for detention or commitment, the costs may include a per-day charge for your child’s cost of care while in DJJ custody.