Residential
- Youth is placed in residential facility following adjudication.
- If a bed at the appropriate commitment level is not available in a residential facility, the youth may remain in a secure detention center until one is available.
A bill will be sent to you each month indicating the amount charged, the dates the child was admitted to and released from the program, or was under supervision, and the total unpaid balance due.
You also may make your Cost of Care payment online.
The court may determine that your child or additional co-defendants are “jointly” responsible for damages caused in the offense that led to your child’s arrest. As a result, the court may order your child to pay for those damages (pay restitution) to the victim of that crime. In the case of joint responsibility for damages, each co-defendant(s) will share responsibility for paying restitution. If the other co-defendant(s) do not pay their share of the damages, then your child may be responsible to pay all of the restitution.
Restitution payments and other court fees are payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Under no circumstances are DJJ employees or contracted agents authorized to accept restitution payments in any form. Do not give restitution money to your child’s JPO or other contracted agent providing supervision of your child.
In Florida, only a judge can place a youth into a Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) commitment program level. While every attempt is made to keep your child close to home, a bed at the appropriate commitment level may not be near your home. Based on the judge’s decision regarding your child’s commitment level, your child may be sent to a commitment program that is in a different region of the state. There are the five levels of commitment. The
of commitment or placement represent increasing restrictions on your child’s movement and freedom.
The least restrictive, or minimum-risk level, is a non-residential commitment. This level of commitment means that your child will stay at home with you. A minimum-risk commitment program is part of the Department’s
Probation and Community Intervention
rather than Residential Services.
Your child’s juvenile probation officer (JPO) should be able to tell you what commitment level your child will be going to and to what program. View written descriptions of each residential commitment program, its services, a map with directions, and contact information.
All youth receive an initial health screening within 24 hours of admission. A detailed health history of your child is conducted by nursing staff and a physical examination is performed by the facility physician, ARNP or Physician Assistant. All DJJ residential facilities have nursing staff on-site to meet your child’s medical needs and issues, including medication delivery. Any service needs beyond the capabilities of professionals within the facility will be referred to appropriate community providers on a timely basis and parents or guardians informed of any urgent or emergency referrals made on behalf or their child.
Yes, you are encouraged to visit your child while he or she is in the residential commitment facility. Each residential program has scheduled visitation days and times. The program will notify you of its visitation schedule. If you are not able to visit during the scheduled days and times, contact your child’s social worker at the program to make other arrangements.
Contact your facility/program for visitation days/hours
.