Louisiana Children’s Code 779 – Dispositional alternatives
Terms Used In Louisiana Children's Code 779
- Caretaker: means any person providing a residence for the child or any person legally obligated to provide or secure adequate care for the child, including a parent, tutor, guardian, or legal custodian. See Louisiana Children's Code 728
- Child: means a person under eighteen years of age who, prior to proceedings under this Title, has not been judicially emancipated or emancipated by marriage. See Louisiana Children's Code 728
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
A. In any case in which the family has been adjudicated to be in need of services, the court may impose the following orders directly affecting any child of the family:
(1) Order the child to submit to counseling or to psychiatric or psychological examination or treatment.
(2) Order the child to cooperate in accepting particular services from any public institution or agency or from any private institution or agency willing and able to provide him with needed services.
(3) Place the child in the custody of a caretaker or other suitable person on such terms and conditions as deemed in the best interests of the child and the public.
(4) Place the child on probation on such terms and conditions as deemed in the best interests of the child and the public.
(5) Assign the child to the custody of a private or public institution or agency, except that the child shall not be placed in a correctional facility designed and operated exclusively for delinquent children, nor shall such facility accept the child.
(6) Make such other disposition or combination of the above dispositions as the court deems to be in the best interests of the child and the public.
B. In any case in which the family has been adjudicated to be in need of services, the court may impose any of the following orders directly affecting a caretaker:
(1) Order the caretaker to submit to counseling or to psychiatric or psychological examination or treatment.
(2) Order the caretaker to cooperate in accepting particular services from any public institution or agency or from any private institution or agency willing and able to provide him with needed services.
(3) Order the caretaker to cooperate in connection with any part of the disposition order directly affecting the child.
(4) Impose any other conditions reasonably related to improving the family relationship.
(5) Order the caretaker to perform court-approved community service activities. If feasible, the court-approved community service activities shall be conducted by the caretaker and child together.
C. In any case in which the family has been adjudicated to be in need of services, the court may order any public institution or agency and its representatives to:
(1) Provide any services specified in its order as necessary to improve the family relationships or reunite the family in the best interests of the child, provided only that such services are available within the agency or institution.
(2) Report at least once every six months in writing concerning the progress of the family in receiving and accepting the services ordered.
Acts 1991, No. 235, §7; Acts 1995, No. 1095, §3; Acts 2010, No. 314, §1.