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Effective: 1/15/2019

11.27 Court Reports

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Throughout the life of a case, there are several occasions when a report may be made to the court.  According to statute a court review is referred to as a case review.  Standard or Policy (SOP) reflects this language. Although each court has its own specific way of handling cases, reports may be submitted for the following types of hearings:  

 
  • Court ordered home evaluation:  Contains information regarding a youth’s relationship with a proposed relative for placement purposes; as well as the relative’s ability and willingness to care for the needs of the child. 
  • The pre-dispositional investigation report: contains relevant information for the youth and family, which will assist the court in making a dispositional finding on a youth who has been adjudicated as dependent, abused, neglected or as a status offender.
  • Scheduled judicial review (status review):  Contains information about the current status of the ongoing case, the child(ren) and family. 
  • Annual permanency review:  Contains information regarding the current status of the ongoing case and what steps have been completed to achieve permanency for the youth. 
 
Each of these types of court hearings requires a report that will assist the court in making decisions regarding the best interests of the child(ren). 

The AOC DNA-13​​ form should be completed by the SSW and submitted to the court prior to each hearing so that the clerk of the court can provide notice of the hearing and the right of applicable persons of their right to be heard.  The SSW should also notify relatives/fictive kin, foster, and adoptive parents of all court dates and document the notification in service recordings.  
 



Practice Guidance

Procedure

​Court Ordered Home Evaluation Reports

 
The SSW: 
​
  1. Prepares the report using the ADT Court Ordered Risk Assessment or Home Evaluation or the Investigation Report Concerning Custodial Arrangements for the Child (located in TWIST); and
  2. Submits the report and AOC DNA 13 to the court based on the given timeframes set forth by the judge. 
 

Dispositional Reports

 
The SSW:
 
  1. Prepares a dispositional report for the court as required by court practice and case circumstance (Family Court Civil Rule 28);
  2. Submits the AOC DNA 13 to the court; and
  3. Provides the dispositional investigation report to the court seven (7) working days prior to the dispositional hearing.
 

Case Review Court Reports


The SSW: 
 
  1. Prepares the case review report outline, completes the AOC DNA 13 and submits both to the judge within each court’s specified timeframes; and
  2. Ensures that the report contains clearly written and appropriate information about the services necessary to prevent foster care placement or reunification of the children.
 

Annual Permanency Review Reports

 
The SSW:
 
  1. Completes the report for the annual permanency review (APR) and the case plan, and submits to the court, at least three (3) working days prior to the hearing; and
  2. Ensures that the completed AOC-DNA 13 form has been submitted to the court so that the court clerk can provide notice of the hearing and the right of applicable persons of their right to be heard.  For APRs this should be done within sixy (60) calendar days of the hearing.




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Documents

Revisions

​Additions:  

The AOC DNA-13 form should be completed by the worker and submitted to the Court prior to each hearing so that the Clerk of the Court can provide notice of the hearing and the right of applicable persons of their right to be heard.  The worker should also notify relatives/fictive kin, foster, and adoptive parents of all Court dates and document the notification in service recordings.  
 
  1. Provides the court the dispositional investigation report seven (7) working days three (3) days prior to the dispositional hearing.​

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