The Florida Senate

39.603  Court approvals of case planning.--

(1)  At the hearing on the plan, which shall occur in conjunction with the disposition hearing unless otherwise directed by the court, the court shall determine:

(a)  All parties who were notified and are in attendance at the hearing, either in person or through a legal representative. The court shall appoint a guardian ad litem under Rule 1.210, Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, to represent the interests of any parent, if the location of the parent is known but the parent is not present at the hearing and the development of the plan is based upon the physical, emotional, or mental condition or physical location of the parent.

(b)  If the plan is consistent with previous orders of the court placing the child in care.

(c)  If the plan is consistent with the requirements for the content of a plan as specified in this chapter.

(d)  In involuntary placements, whether each parent was notified of the right to counsel at each stage of the dependency proceedings, in accordance with the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure.

(e)  Whether each parent whose location was known was notified of the right to participate in the preparation of a case plan and of the right to receive assistance from any other person in the preparation of the case plan.

(f)  Whether the plan is meaningful and designed to address facts and circumstances upon which the court based the finding of dependency in involuntary placements or the plan is meaningful and designed to address facts and circumstances upon which the child was placed in out-of-home care voluntarily.

(2)  When the court determines any of the elements considered at the hearing related to the plan have not been met, the court shall require the parties to make necessary amendments to the plan. The amended plan must be submitted to the court for review and approval within a time certain specified by the court. A copy of the amended plan must also be provided to each parent, if the location of the parent is known.

(3)  A parent who has not participated in the development of a case plan must be served with a copy of the plan developed by the department, if the parent can be located, at least 48 hours prior to the court hearing. Any parent is entitled to, and may seek, a court review of the plan prior to the initial review and must be informed of this right by the department at the time the department serves the parent with a copy of the plan. If the location of an absent parent becomes known to the department, the department shall inform the parent of the right to a court review at the time the department serves the parent with a copy of the case plan.

History.--s. 9, ch. 87-289; s. 32, ch. 88-337; s. 26, ch. 94-164; s. 17, ch. 95-228; s. 76, ch. 98-403.

Note.--Former s. 39.452(5).