Required judicial findings and orders when a child is placed outside the home, termination of parental rights warnings, mandatory child abuse or neglect reporters, the confidentiality of social services records, changing from day care to child care the term used to describe care and supervision for children for less than 24 hours a day, and renumbering the definition of neglect

The juvenile court, however, is not required to make a finding that reasonable efforts have been made to achieve the goal of the child's permanency plan if return of the child to the home is the goal of the permanency plan and the juvenile court has found that a parent has committed certain crimes of homicide against a child of the parent; has committed battery, sexual assault, or physical or sexual abuse resulting in great bodily harm or substantial bodily harm to a child of the parent; has had his or her parental rights terminated with respect to another child; or has subjected the child to aggravated circumstances, which are defined as including criminal abandonment, torture, chronic abuse, and sexual abuse. This bill eliminates that exception to the requirement that the juvenile court make a finding that reasonable efforts have been made to achieve the goal of the child's permanency plan.

TPR warnings Under current law, when the juvenile court orders a child to be placed outside the home because the child has been adjudged to be in need of protection or services under a dispositional order, a change-in-placement order, a revision of a dispositional order, or an extension of a dispositional order, the juvenile court is required to inform orally the parent or parents who appear in juvenile court of any grounds for TPR that may be applicable and of the conditions necessary for the child to be returned to the home. This bill requires a TPR warning to be given also when the juvenile court orders a child to be placed outside the home because the child has been adjudged delinquent and when the juvenile court holds a hearing to review a child's permanency plan.

Mandatory child abuse or neglect reporters Current law requires certain persons who have reasonable cause to suspect that a child seen in the course of professional duties has been abused or neglected to report that suspected abuse or neglect to the sheriff or police department or to the county department or, in Milwaukee County, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) or a child welfare agency under contract with DCF (mandatory reporter). Currently, a child care worker in a group home that is authorized solely to provide a safe and structured living arrangement for children 12 years of age or over who are custodial parents or expectant mothers is a mandatory reporter. This bill makes a child care worker in any group home a mandatory reporter.

Confidentiality of social services records Under the current Juvenile Justice Code, the Department of Corrections (DOC), a county department, or a child welfare agency, subject to certain exceptions, is required to maintain the confidentiality of records kept or information received about an individual who is or was in its care or legal custody. Under the current Children's Code, DCF, a county department, a child welfare agency, or a day care center (collectively "agency"), subject to certain exceptions, is required to maintain the confidentiality of records kept or information received about an individual who is currently in its care or legal custody. This bill conforms the Children's Code to the Juvenile Justice Code by requiring an agency to maintain the confidentiality of records kept or information received about an individual who is or was in its care or legal custody.

Child care Current law requires a person who for compensation provides care and supervision for four or more children under the age of seven for less than 24 hours a day to obtain a license from DCF to operate a day care center. Current law also permits a school board to provide or contract for the provision of day care programs for children. In addition, current law requires a person who is not licensed to operate a day care center or who is not under contract with a school board to provide a day care program to be certified as a day care provider by a county department of human services or social services to receive reimbursement under the Wisconsin Works program for child care services provided by the person. Current law also includes numerous other references to facilities and services involved in the care of children for less than 24 hours a day that include the term "day care." This bill changes the term used to describe care and supervision for children for less than 24 hours a day from "day care" to "child care."

Neglect Under current law, "neglect" is defined in the section of the Children's Code relating to child abuse and neglect reporting as failure, refusal, or inability on the part of a parent, guardian, legal custodian, or other person exercising temporary or permanent control over a child, for reasons other than poverty, to provide necessary care, food, clothing, medical or dental care, or shelter so as to seriously endanger the physical health of the child. This bill moves that definition to the definitions section of the Children's Code, thereby making it applicable throughout that code.