At DiNenna & Associates, we are happy to assist clients in the following education law areas truancy, student discipline and expulsion, sports programs/ participation, civil rights, special education, school to prison pipeline issues, systemic racism, discrimination, school diversion assistance.
The Juvenile Justice system is set up to be a rehabilitative system, which is different than the adult system, which is set up to be punitive. However, children as young as eight years old can still be arrested, charged and incarcerated just as an adult can. In fact some juveniles, depending on the crime that is alleged and their age, can transferred from juvenile court and tried as an adult.
The purpose of the Child in Need of Services (CHINS) Program is to obtain a court order requiring temporary placement (for up to six months) of a child in a residence other than the home of his/her parent. The requirement for placement must be based on a serious conflict between the parent and child that cannot be resolved by providing services to the family while the child remains in the home. A child, parent (custodian/guardian), or DCFY may file a CHINS petition.
The intent of the At-Risk Youth (ARY) Program is to allow parents to obtain assistance and support from the court in maintaining the care, custody, and control of their child. Only the parent of the child may file the ARY petition. A “parent” is defined as the person or persons having legal right to custody of the child. This can be a custodian or guardian. The ARY proceeding is a voluntary process and a parent may request a dismissal at any time.