Note: This may change at any time with changes in procedures or laws.

1. SHELTER CARE HEARING: Time frame: Within 72 hours of placement. Issues: Placement, home, responsible adult, foster care, group care. Visitation: Supervised, unsupervised, frequency, restraining / no contact order. Services for child & Parent: Social Services drug / alcohol evaluation, parenting classes, therapy for child. Parent choices: Agree / cooperate, compromise / negotiate, disagree. (At the shelter care hearing Judge decides these issues)

2. 30 DAY HEARING: Time frame: Within 30 days after 72 hour hearing. Reviews the status of all issues. This may not be an in-court hearing in every county.

3. FACT-FINDING HEARING: Time frame: Within 75 days of filing of petition. Issues: determine facts as alleged in petition. Determine legal sufficiency. Parents choices: Agree / Cooperate, Compromise / Negotiate, Disagree / Go to trial. Types of dependency: In-home with services. Out-of-home with services.

4. DISPOSITION HEARING: Time frame: At fact-finding or within 14 days of fact-finding. Issues: Placement, home, responsible adult, foster care, group care. Visitation: Supervised, Unsupervised, Frequency, place / time. Restraining / No contact order. Services: Evaluations, parenting classes, counseling, substance abuse, anger management, domestic violence treatment, sexual offender treatment, victim / survivor treatment. 
5. REVIEW HEARING: Time frame: At least every 6 months. Issues: Progress and compliance with court order. Services: Placement, visitation if not returned home. Continued dependency or dismissed.
6. PERMANENCY PLANNING HEARING: Time frame: Between 9 and 12 months (depending on child’s age) after child’s out-of-home placement. Issues: Permanent plan determined by court. Continued dependency, dismissal, return home, long term foster care, proceed with guardianship, proceed with termination, adoption, emancipation. (hearing may occur every 12 months)

"Contested Hearings" may be initialed at any time a party in the dependency wants to raise an issue with the court. All parties must be given two week’s notice. There may also be emergency hearings convened as needed.