Getting a Court Order for Your At Risk Youth
Did you know that you can get help from the courts with your parenting? At Risk Youth Orders can be empowering for parents (or guardians). Perhaps your child is refusing to follow rules; maybe they're skipping school, using drugs and/or alcohol, or running away from home. This can be very scary for parents; not only does it feel like you are losing your child, but you are also legally responsible for another human being that is behaving irresponsibly. You may be afraid that he/she is at risk of endangering themselves or someone else. You feel like you've tried everything to turn them around but they refuse to listen to you. An out of control teenager can drive you crazy, destroy your marriage, and take over the entire family. If you can relate to any of this, you may want to pursue this option.
An at-risk youth is defined by statute as a child under the age of 18 who meets at least one of the following three requirements:
1. Is absent from home for at least 72 consecutive hours without parental consent; OR
2. Is beyond parental control such that his/her behavior endangers the health, safety, or welfare of the child or any other person; OR
3. Has a substance abuse problem for which there are no pending criminal charges relating to the substance abuse.
The first requirement is easy to identitify, all you need to know is whether they were away from home without your permission for at least three days. It doesn't matter whether you knew where they were, what matters is whether they had your permission.
The second one is a little more broad, you have to be the judge of whether the child's behavior is endangering the health, safety, or welfare of themselves or another person. This could mean anything from threatening behavior or actual violence, smoking cigarettes, self-harm (like tattooing, piercing, cutting, and branding), or any other risky behaviors.
The third one is substance abuse. Many parents ignore it, or go into a state of denial when they find signs that their son or daughter is using drugs. Others simply feel helpless and don't know that there's anything they can do. Some parents become ashamed and worry that others will find out and think they're a bad parent. In reality, the best parents are the one's that recognize there's a problem and do everything in their power to save their children, themselves, and future generations from the chaos that these behaviors bring into life. Remember, the youth does not have to meet every requirement above, only one to qualify as at risk by the state. Other programs may have different standards to qualify. Be sure to check out the details of each program to decide if it's a resource you would like to use.
Getting an order from the court can help you become a better parent by getting your child's attention. Most kids have learned to drown out their parents advice or are at the age where they are rebelling and want to live their own lives and make their own choices. This is fine, to a degree. When it gets to the point of the youth trying to gain independance by hurting themselves or others, somebody needs to intervene. Maybe you've tried interventions already. Some parents try taking away privileges, grounding their kids, family counseling, meeting with the school counselor, teachers or psychologists. When you've taken these steps and find that your teen is not responding, you might want to try one more thing...an order from the court.
To file a petition for an At-Risk Youth court order you must pick up the petition packet in the reception area of the Juvenile Probation Department, located upstairs in the Snohomish County Juvenile Court at 2801 10th Street, Everett WA 98201. You will also need to schedule an appointment with the Family Reconciliation Services (FRS) office at DSHS 1-800-609-8764 Days, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 1-800-562-5624 After hours, 4:30 p.m.-8 a.m. (request an appointment for intake and assessment). The intake caseworker will prepare a Family Assessment at the appointment. Make sure to request a copy of the family assessment and attach it to the petition prior to filing. The Court needs a copy of the FRS assessment before proceeding with the hearing.
Complete the petition following the directions in the packet. You can put things such as a curfew, a bedtime, order that they attend school, abstain from drug and alcohol use, or even list which friends they are not allowed to be in contact with. If you need help ask the receptionist to connect you with someone that can assist you. After you have processed the paperwork, you will be given a court date. At the court hearing, you will be able to present your case to a judge. The judge will decide whether to sign the order after reviewind the facts presented. Once the petition becomes an order, you can start to enforce it. It is recommended that you keep a journal of some sort to help you document when your child is in violation.
Remember this process is PARENT/GUARDIAN (petitioner) driven. It only works with a committment from the petititioner. When your A.R.Y. order is granted, it is up to you to enforce it. You must be willing to report when your child is in contempt of the order. This means when your child violates any of the orders, you have to file a motion to the court to request a show cause hearing. You can get the paperwork in the probation reception area on the second floor of the juvenile court. Complete it using the directions you are given, then drop off the packet with the receptionist.
Once a day, Monday through Friday, the motions are presented to a judge for signatures. Your signed copies are available for pick up after 4 pm. A copy of the Motion to Show Cause and Order to Show Cause MUST be personally served on the youth by someone who is over 18 years old and not a legal party to the youth (no parent or guardian). Sometimes school staff are willing to help out with this, call the school to see if they have someone designated to serve students. You will then be notified of your court hearing and be expected to appear in front of the judge (so will your child). If you or your child do not appear, a warrant for your (or their) arrest will be issued. At the hearing, the judge may give sanctions for the contempt. Your child could be given community service, detention time, or a detention alternative. The judge can order drug testing, treatment, counseling, or any other program that they see fit.
The ARY proceeding is a voluntary process and a parent may request a dismissal at any time.
Through this process parents may petition the courts for assistance with their teen while the teen resides in their home. Court orders mandate the youth attend school, remain at home, abstain from all drug / alcohol use, follow a curfew, and potentially a list of other case by case directives.
Remember, for a child to meet the requirements of an ARY petition they must meet at least one of three criteria:
If you are comfortable filling out court paperwork on your own, the forms for download are available on the Washington Courts website:
http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/?fa=forms.contribute&formID=19
An at-risk youth is defined by statute as a child under the age of 18 who meets at least one of the following three requirements:
1. Is absent from home for at least 72 consecutive hours without parental consent; OR
2. Is beyond parental control such that his/her behavior endangers the health, safety, or welfare of the child or any other person; OR
3. Has a substance abuse problem for which there are no pending criminal charges relating to the substance abuse.
The first requirement is easy to identitify, all you need to know is whether they were away from home without your permission for at least three days. It doesn't matter whether you knew where they were, what matters is whether they had your permission.
The second one is a little more broad, you have to be the judge of whether the child's behavior is endangering the health, safety, or welfare of themselves or another person. This could mean anything from threatening behavior or actual violence, smoking cigarettes, self-harm (like tattooing, piercing, cutting, and branding), or any other risky behaviors.
The third one is substance abuse. Many parents ignore it, or go into a state of denial when they find signs that their son or daughter is using drugs. Others simply feel helpless and don't know that there's anything they can do. Some parents become ashamed and worry that others will find out and think they're a bad parent. In reality, the best parents are the one's that recognize there's a problem and do everything in their power to save their children, themselves, and future generations from the chaos that these behaviors bring into life. Remember, the youth does not have to meet every requirement above, only one to qualify as at risk by the state. Other programs may have different standards to qualify. Be sure to check out the details of each program to decide if it's a resource you would like to use.
Getting an order from the court can help you become a better parent by getting your child's attention. Most kids have learned to drown out their parents advice or are at the age where they are rebelling and want to live their own lives and make their own choices. This is fine, to a degree. When it gets to the point of the youth trying to gain independance by hurting themselves or others, somebody needs to intervene. Maybe you've tried interventions already. Some parents try taking away privileges, grounding their kids, family counseling, meeting with the school counselor, teachers or psychologists. When you've taken these steps and find that your teen is not responding, you might want to try one more thing...an order from the court.
To file a petition for an At-Risk Youth court order you must pick up the petition packet in the reception area of the Juvenile Probation Department, located upstairs in the Snohomish County Juvenile Court at 2801 10th Street, Everett WA 98201. You will also need to schedule an appointment with the Family Reconciliation Services (FRS) office at DSHS 1-800-609-8764 Days, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 1-800-562-5624 After hours, 4:30 p.m.-8 a.m. (request an appointment for intake and assessment). The intake caseworker will prepare a Family Assessment at the appointment. Make sure to request a copy of the family assessment and attach it to the petition prior to filing. The Court needs a copy of the FRS assessment before proceeding with the hearing.
Complete the petition following the directions in the packet. You can put things such as a curfew, a bedtime, order that they attend school, abstain from drug and alcohol use, or even list which friends they are not allowed to be in contact with. If you need help ask the receptionist to connect you with someone that can assist you. After you have processed the paperwork, you will be given a court date. At the court hearing, you will be able to present your case to a judge. The judge will decide whether to sign the order after reviewind the facts presented. Once the petition becomes an order, you can start to enforce it. It is recommended that you keep a journal of some sort to help you document when your child is in violation.
Remember this process is PARENT/GUARDIAN (petitioner) driven. It only works with a committment from the petititioner. When your A.R.Y. order is granted, it is up to you to enforce it. You must be willing to report when your child is in contempt of the order. This means when your child violates any of the orders, you have to file a motion to the court to request a show cause hearing. You can get the paperwork in the probation reception area on the second floor of the juvenile court. Complete it using the directions you are given, then drop off the packet with the receptionist.
Once a day, Monday through Friday, the motions are presented to a judge for signatures. Your signed copies are available for pick up after 4 pm. A copy of the Motion to Show Cause and Order to Show Cause MUST be personally served on the youth by someone who is over 18 years old and not a legal party to the youth (no parent or guardian). Sometimes school staff are willing to help out with this, call the school to see if they have someone designated to serve students. You will then be notified of your court hearing and be expected to appear in front of the judge (so will your child). If you or your child do not appear, a warrant for your (or their) arrest will be issued. At the hearing, the judge may give sanctions for the contempt. Your child could be given community service, detention time, or a detention alternative. The judge can order drug testing, treatment, counseling, or any other program that they see fit.
The ARY proceeding is a voluntary process and a parent may request a dismissal at any time.
Through this process parents may petition the courts for assistance with their teen while the teen resides in their home. Court orders mandate the youth attend school, remain at home, abstain from all drug / alcohol use, follow a curfew, and potentially a list of other case by case directives.
Remember, for a child to meet the requirements of an ARY petition they must meet at least one of three criteria:
- An individual who is under 18 and remains absent from the home for a period of more than 72 hours without parental consent
- Is beyond parental control such that behavior endangers the health, safety, or welfare of the child or another person
- Has a serious substance abuse problem
- ARY Flow Chart
- ARY Bench Warrant Request Form (to be used after an ARY petition has been filed)
- ARY Contempt Form (to be used after an ARY petition has been approved)
- ARY Contempt Form en español
- ARY Drug Court
- ARY Petition
- ARY Petition en español
- Steps in Filing an ARY or CHINS Petition
If you are comfortable filling out court paperwork on your own, the forms for download are available on the Washington Courts website:
http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/?fa=forms.contribute&formID=19