Seminole County Dependency Court

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MISSION

The Juvenile Courts in Florida have jurisdiction over all dependency matters for juveniles up to the age of eighteen years of age. Under the leadership of the judiciary, the dependency court wants to assist in the movement to institutionalize standards of excellence for safe and permanent outcomes for children who are abused, abandoned and neglected. This meaning the children of Seminole county who have removed from their homes and families due to some form of abuse, abandonment or neglect.

Abandonment meaning the situation in which the parent or legal custodian of a child, or caregiver while being able to do so, makes no effort to communicate with the child. Abuse meaning any willful act or threatened act that results in any physical, mental or sexual injury or harm that causes or is likely to cause the child's physical, mental, or emotional health to be significantly impaired. These may also include acts or omissions. Neglect occurs when a child is deprived of, or is allowed to be deprived of necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment or a child is permitted to live in an environment when such deprivation or environment causes the child's physical and mental or emotional health to be significantly impaired or even the danger of being impaired.

One year to permanency is the charge to our child protection community. A sense of urgency must never be forgotten for any child in the system. The dependency court strives to change the current paradigm, to create a new paradigm shift of viewing everything through the eyes of a child. As public servants, we must not forget that we are here for the protection and interests of the children of Florida. To achieve those goals in Seminole County, there are two Juvenile Judges and one General Magistrate who preside over all dependency hearings.

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The following is a brief description of the process of a dependency case through the court system:

* Parents or guardians have the right to be represented by an attorney in dependency court. Please keep in mind all legal matters should be discussed with your attorney.
* Child Protective Investigator (CPI) responds to and investigates a report of suspected child abuse, neglect or abandonment.
* Judge decides what is best for the child entering protective supervision or foster care.
* Shelter Hearing the court determines whether there is evidence to keep a child, who has been removed from his/her home by a Child Protective Investigator, in an out of home placement pending further investigation by the PI. This hearing must happen within 24 hours of the child being removed from their home.
* Arraignment provides the parent(s) an opportunity to admit, consent or deny the abuse or neglect allegations or dependency of their child.
* Adjudication the finding of whether or not there has been abuse, neglect or abandonment. For an adjudication of dependency the judge only has to find that there is a preponderance of evidence (more evidence that supports the child has been abused/neglected than evidence to the contrary).
* Disposition sets forth the specific services needed by the child(ren) and families through a court ordered and approved case plan.
* Judicial Reviews the services ordered, progress of family on case plan, and changes in the child(ren) and families status. Reviews can occur at 3 or 6-month intervals. If the children) remain in foster care the reviews must occur every 6 months up to the child(ren) 18th birthday.
* Permanency Hearing. A special judicial review hearing held no later than 12 months after the child was originally removed from the home, in which the department formally presents the permanency plan for the child to the court.
* Review of cases in which parental rights have terminated (TPR) and custody is given to the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the court must review the status of the case(s) every 6 month until the child(ren) is placed for adoption,

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ABOUT THE SEMINOLE PROGRAM

Partners: It is our job, with the assistance of many partners to develop and implement strategies designed to assist the children and families who are part of our dependency court. This is done by collaborations with Office of Court Improvement (OSCA), court administration, judicial education and training, and open partnerships with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, Child Protective Services Division, Community Based Care of Seminole, Human Services Associates, Guardian Ad Litem Program of Seminole County, Family Focus and many other community service agencies. There are quarterly meetings of the stakeholders involved in dependency court to work out issues and problems to ensure the safety and well being of the children who are currently in the dependency court system..

Training and Education: The General Magistrate and the Senior Court Coordinator from the Dependency Court attended the 2006 Family Court Conference held August 3 and 4. The Court Conferences Focus was to help attendees to discover tools to effect a paradigm shift in thinking or in other words to see our dependency system through the eyes of a child. The conference offered 40 pertinent workshops and programs to educate and inspire participants. Justice Barbara J. Pariente provided the opening and closing remarks for the two-day conference. The General Magistrate attends continuing education classes throughout the year to stay abreast of the latest laws pertaining to dependency and family law cases.

Resources and Staff Contact Information

Teri Leonard
Juvenile Division Coordinator
Juvenile and Dependency Court
407-665-5344
Abuse Hotline 1-800-96ABUSE (962-2873)
TDD: 1-800-453-5145
FAX: 1-800-914-0004
Adoption Information 1-800-96-ADOPT (962-3678)
1-904-353-0679 (out of Florida)
Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-500-1119
Guardian Angel Services, Inc.
Offers Court Approved 8 Hour Family Guardianship Course
320 Wilshire Blvd - Casselberry, FL 32707
Phone: (407) 331-9010
Fax: (407) 830-6264
Website: www.guardianangelservices.org
Child Abuse Prevention Task Force Resource Guide for Seminole County

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Calendars

Schedule of Events, Dockets, and More

Judges CalendarsThe Eighteenth Circuit Utilizes several Calendar Systems, including the JACS system. Please Note: that not all judges post their calendars online.

Presentation Cart SchedulePresentation Equipment is available in most courtrooms. Please Note: that not all schedules are posted online.

Most Requested Forms

Family and Civil Courts

• FAMILY FORMS (From Supreme Court)
  DIVORCE FORMS (Seminole County)
  FORECLOSURE MEDIATION (Brevard)
  FORECLOSURE MEDIATION (Seminole)
  FLORIDA SUPREME COURT (JOSHUA)
  FLORIDA RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
  FLORIDA STATUTES AND CONSTITUTION
  DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT
  FLORIDA BAR ASSOCIATION FAMILY LAW SECTION
  LOCAL PRACTICE MANUALS
  

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