Wisconsin Code § 938.217

Change in placement; juvenile held in custody
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(1) REQUEST BY INTAKE WORKER, AGENCY RESPONSIBLE
FOR CUSTODY ORDER, OR PROSECUTOR. (a) Applicable procedures. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., the intake worker, the
agency primarily responsible for providing services under a temporary physical custody order under s. 938.21 (4), or the district
attorney or corporation counsel may request a change in the

placement of the juvenile who is the subject of the order as provided in this subsection, whether or not the change requested is
authorized in the order.
2. A change in the placement of a juvenile from a placement
in the home to a placement outside the home may only be made
as provided in s. 938.21 (6).
(b) Notice; information required. 1. The intake worker, the
agency primarily responsible for providing services under a temporary physical custody order, or the district attorney or corporation counsel may request a change in placement under this subsection by causing written notice of the proposed change in
placement to be sent to the juvenile, the juvenile’s counsel or
guardian ad litem, the parent, guardian, and legal custodian or Indian custodian of the juvenile, and any foster parent or other physical custodian described in s. 48.62 (2) of the juvenile.
2. The notice shall contain the name and address of the new
placement, the reasons for the change in placement, whether the
new placement is certified under s. 48.675, and a statement describing why the new placement is preferable to the present
placement. The person sending the notice shall file the notice
with the court on the same day that the notice is sent.
3. If the proposed change in placement would place the juvenile in a residential care center for children and youth, group
home, or shelter care facility certified under s. 48.675, the qualified individual shall conduct a standardized assessment and the
intake worker or agency primarily responsible for providing services under a temporary physical custody order shall submit it
and the recommendation of the qualified individual who conducted the standardized assessment, including all of the following, to the court and all persons who are required to receive the
notice under subd. 1. no later than the filing of that notice or, if
not available by that time, and except as provided under subd. 4.,
no later than 10 days after the notice is filed:
a. Whether the proposed placement will provide the juvenile
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 juvenile, as specified in the permanency
plan.
c. The reasons why the juvenile’s needs can or cannot be met
by the juvenile’s family or in a foster home. A shortage or lack of
foster homes is not an acceptable reason for determining that the
juvenile’s needs cannot be met in a foster home.
d. The placement preference of the family permanency team
under s. 938.38 (3m) and, if that preference is not the placement
recommended by the qualified individual, why that recommended placement is not preferred.
4. If, for good cause shown, the information required to be
submitted under subd. 3. is not available by the deadline under
that subdivision, the intake worker or agency primarily responsible for providing services under a temporary physical custody order shall submit it no later than 30 days after the date on which
the placement is made.
(c) Hearing; when required. Any person receiving the notice
under par. (b) may obtain a hearing on the matter by filing an objection with the court within 10 days after the notice is sent to that
person and filed with the court. Except as provided in par. (d), if
an objection is filed within 10 days after that notice is sent and
filed with the court, the court shall hold a hearing prior to ordering any change in placement. At least 3 days before the hearing,
the court shall provide notice of the hearing to all persons who
are required to receive notice under par. (b). If all parties consent,
the court may proceed immediately with the hearing. Except as
provided in par. (d), if no objection is filed within 10 days after
that notice is sent and filed with the court, the court shall enter an
order changing the juvenile’s placement as proposed in that notice. Except as provided in par. (d), placements may not be
changed until 10 days after that notice is sent and filed with the
court unless written waivers of objection are signed by the parent,
guardian, legal custodian, or Indian custodian of the juvenile and
the juvenile, if 12 years of age or over.
(d) When hearing not required. Changes in placement that
were authorized in the temporary physical custody order may be
made immediately if notice is given as required under par. (b). A
hearing is not required for changes in placement authorized in the
temporary physical custody order except when an objection filed
by a person who received notice alleges that new information is
available that affects the advisability of the order.
(e) Contents of order. If the court changes a juvenile’s placement from a placement outside the home to another placement
outside the home, the change-in-placement order shall contain
the applicable order under sub. (2v) (a), the applicable statement
under sub. (2v) (b), and the finding under sub. (2v) (c).
(2) EMERGENCY CHANGE IN PLACEMENT. (a) If emergency
conditions necessitate an immediate change in the placement of a
juvenile placed outside the home under a temporary physical custody order under s. 938.21 (4), the intake worker or agency primarily responsible for providing services under the temporary
physical custody order may remove the juvenile to a new placement, whether or not authorized by the existing order, without the
prior notice under sub. (1) (b). Notice of the emergency change
in placement shall be sent to the persons specified in sub. (1) (b)
1. within 48 hours after the emergency change in placement. Any
party receiving notice may demand a hearing under sub. (1) (c).
In emergency situations, a juvenile may be placed in a licensed
public or private shelter care facility as a transitional placement
for not more than 20 days or in any other placement authorized
under s. 938.207, 938.208, or 938.209.
(b) 1. If the emergency change in placement under par. (a) results in a juvenile being placed in a residential care center for
children and youth, group home, or shelter care facility certified
under s. 48.675, the qualified individual shall conduct a standardized assessment and the intake worker or agency primarily responsible for providing services under a temporary physical custody order shall submit it and the recommendation of the qualified individual who conducted the standardized assessment, including the information specified under sub. (1) (b) 3., with the
notice under par. (a) or, if not available at that time, and except as
provided under subd. 2., no later than 10 days after the filing of
that notice.
2. If, for good cause shown, the information required to be
submitted under subd. 1. is not available by the deadline under
that subdivision, the intake worker or agency primarily responsible for providing services under a temporary physical custody order shall submit it no later than 30 days after the date on which
the placement was made.
(c) If the emergency change in placement under par. (a) results in a juvenile being placed in a residential care center for
children and youth, group home, or shelter care facility certified
under s. 48.675, the court shall, no later than 60 days after the
placement is made, issue an order making all of the findings required under sub. (2v) (d) 1., the answers to which do not affect
whether the placement may be made, after considering the standardized assessment and the recommendation of the qualified individual who conducted the standardized assessment.
(2m) REQUEST BY OTHERS. (a) Request; information required. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., the juvenile, the juvenile’s counsel or guardian ad litem, or the parent, guardian, legal
custodian, or Indian custodian of the juvenile may request a
change in the placement of the juvenile who is the subject of the

order as provided in this subsection. The request shall contain
the name and address of the new placement requested and shall
state what new information is available that affects the advisability of the current placement. The request shall be submitted to
the court. The court may also propose a change in placement on
its own motion.
2. A change in the placement of a juvenile from a placement
in the home to a placement outside the home may only be made
as provided in s. 938.21 (6).
(b) Hearing; when required. 1. The court shall hold a hearing prior to ordering any change in placement requested or proposed under par. (a) if the request or proposal states that new information is available that affects the advisability of the current
placement. A hearing is not required if written waivers of objection to the proposed change in placement are signed by all persons entitled to receive notice under subd. 2. and the court
approves.
2. If a hearing is scheduled, at least 3 days before the hearing
the court shall notify the juvenile, the juvenile’s counsel or
guardian ad litem, the parent, guardian, and legal custodian or Indian custodian of the juvenile, the agency primarily responsible
for providing services under the temporary physical custody order, the district attorney or corporation counsel, and any foster
parent or other physical custodian described in s. 48.62 (2) of the
juvenile. A copy of the request or proposal for the change in
placement shall be attached to the notice. If all parties consent,
the court may proceed immediately with the hearing.
3. If the change in placement results in a juvenile being
placed in a residential care center for children and youth, group
home, or shelter care facility certified under s. 48.675, the qualified individual shall conduct a standardized assessment and the
agency primarily responsible for providing services under the
temporary physical custody order shall submit it and the recommendation of the qualified individual who conducted the standardized assessment, including the information under sub. (1) (b)
3., to the court and to all persons who are required to receive the
notice under subd. 2., no later than the hearing or, if not available
by that time, no later than 30 days after the date on which the
placement is made.
(c) Contents of order. If the court changes the juvenile’s
placement from a placement outside the home to another placement outside the home, the change-in-placement order shall contain the applicable order under sub. (2v) (a), the applicable statement under sub. (2v) (b), and the finding under sub. (2v) (c).
(2r) REMOVAL FROM FOSTER HOME OR OTHER PHYSICAL CUSTODIAN. If a hearing is held under sub. (1) (c) or (2m) (b) and the
change in placement would remove a juvenile from a foster home
or other placement with a physical custodian described in s. 48.62
(2), the court shall give the foster parent or other physical custodian a right to be heard at the hearing by permitting the foster parent or other physical custodian to make a written or oral statement
during the hearing or to submit a written statement prior to the
hearing relating to the juvenile and the requested change in placement. A foster parent or other physical custodian described in s.
48.62 (2) who receives notice of a hearing under sub. (1) (c) or
(2m) (b) and a right to be heard under this subsection does not become a party to the proceeding on which the hearing is held
solely on the basis of receiving that notice and right to be heard.
(2v) CHANGE-IN-PLACEMENT ORDER. A change-in-placement order under sub. (1) or (2m) shall contain all of the
following:
(a) If the change-in-placement order changes the placement of
a juvenile who is under the supervision of the county department
to a placement outside the home, an order ordering the juvenile to
be continued in the placement and care responsibility of the
county department as required under 42 USC 672 (a) (2) and assigning the county department continued primary responsibility
for providing services to the juvenile.
(b) If the change-in-placement order changes the placement of
the juvenile to a placement outside the home recommended by
the agency primarily responsible for providing services under the
temporary physical custody order, a statement that the court approves the placement recommended by that agency or, if the
change-in-placement order changes the placement of the juvenile
to a placement outside the home that is not a placement recommended by that agency, a statement that the court has given bona
fide consideration to the recommendations made by that agency
and all parties relating to the juvenile’s placement.
(c) If the change-in-placement order changes the placement of
the juvenile to a placement outside the home and if the juvenile
has one or more siblings, as defined in s. 938.38 (4) (br) 1., who
have been placed outside the home or for whom a change in
placement to a placement outside the home is requested, a finding
as to whether the intake worker, the county department, or the
agency primarily responsible for providing services under the
temporary physical custody order has made reasonable efforts to
place the juvenile in a placement that enables the sibling group to
remain together, unless the court determines that a joint placement would be contrary to the safety or well-being of the juvenile
or any of those siblings, in which case the court shall order the intake worker, county department, or agency to make reasonable efforts to provide for frequent visitation or other ongoing interaction between the juvenile and the siblings, unless the court determines that such visitation or interaction would be contrary to the
safety or well-being of the juvenile or any of those siblings.
(d) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., if the court changes the
placement to a residential care center for children and youth,
group home, or shelter care facility certified under s. 48.675, the
change-in-placement order shall contain a finding as to each of
the following, the answers to which do not affect whether the
placement may be made, after considering the standardized assessment and the recommendation of the qualified individual
who conducted the standardized assessment:
a. Whether the needs of the juvenile can be met through
placement in a foster home.
b. Whether placement of the juvenile in a residential care
center for children and youth, group home, or shelter care facility
certified under s. 48.675 provides the most effective and appropriate level of care for the juvenile in the least restrictive
environment.
c. Whether the placement is consistent with the short-term
and long-term goals for the juvenile, as specified in the permanency plan.
d. Whether the court approves or disapproves the placement.
2. If the results of the standardized assessment and recommendation of the qualified individual who conducted the standardized assessment are not available at the time of the order, the
court shall defer making the findings under subd. 1. as provided
in this subdivision. No later than 60 days after the date on which
the placement was made, the court shall issue an order making
the findings under subd. 1.
(3) PROHIBITED PLACEMENT BASED ON HOMICIDE OF PARENT. (a) Prohibition. Except as provided in par. (c), the court
may not change a juvenile’s placement to a placement in the
home of a person who has been convicted of the homicide of a
parent of the juvenile under s. 940.01 or 940.05, if the conviction
has not been reversed, set aside, or vacated.
(b) Change in placement required. Except as provided in par.
(c), if a parent in whose home a juvenile is placed is convicted of
the homicide of the juvenile’s other parent under s. 940.01 or

940.05, and the conviction has not been reversed, set aside, or vacated, the court shall change the juvenile’s placement to a placement outside the home of the parent on petition of the juvenile,
the juvenile’s counsel or guardian ad litem, the guardian or legal
custodian of the juvenile, the agency primarily responsible for
providing services under the temporary physical custody order, or
the district attorney or corporation counsel of the county in which
that order was entered, or on the court’s own motion, and on notice to the parent.
(c) Exception. Paragraphs (a) and (b) do not apply if the court
determines by clear and convincing evidence that the placement
would be in the best interests of the juvenile. The court shall consider the wishes of the juvenile in making that determination.
(5) EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF ORDER. A change-in-placement order under this section remains in effect until a dispositional order
is granted or a consent decree is entered into, the petition under s.
938.25 is withdrawn or dismissed, or the order is modified or terminated by further order of the court.

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