A Juvenile in Need of Protection or Services (“JIPS”) Petition involves the parent/guardian, from beginning to end. The Racine County Human Services Department does not employ attorneys. As a result, the following information is not intended to be used as legal advice but rather to give you an outline of the process involved in the JIPS Petition, should you choose to pursue it.
A private JIPS (Juvenile in Need of Protection and Services) petition is the recourse parents or guardians have for youth 10 years of age or older but under 18 years who have become uncontrollable at home or school. Behaviors such as repeatedly disregarding a curfew, refusing to follow house rules, threatening family members, drug use or refusal to follow through with medical or medication orders may indicate a need for court intervention. A juvenile does not have to commit a criminal act to meet the standards for a JIPS petion. The parent must be able to demonstrate that reasonable efforts have been made to bring the youth's behavior under control. Those efforts may include counseling, medication management, taking the juvenile to and from school if truancy is an issue or arranging for supervision when the parent is at work. It must be understood, however, that when a parent petitions the court for a JIPS order, the court (judge) determines what services and activities in which the juvenile will participate and what consequences, if any, will follow if the juvenile does not cooperate. Parents, also, will be ordered to participate in services, especially family and/or individual counseling, drug or alcohol assessments or mental health evaluations.
If you believe your child meets the criteria for a JIPS petion and you wish to pursue this action, contact the Human Services Information and Assistance (I&A) line at 262-638-6321. The I&A worker will ask you about your child's behaviors or problems and will also ask what you have done to address those issues. Your information will then be passed along to the Delinquency Unit Supervisor who will assign a case manager to your family. The case manager will meet with you and explain the process further, giving you the information you need to file the petition. The case manager is NOT an attorney and cannot give legal advice. Some people prefer to work with a private attorney rather than filing the petition on their own.
When you successfully file your petition, you will appear in court with your child and explain the problems that have led up to the decision to petition the court. The judge will also ask you to explain what you have done and will ask your child to respond to what has been said and express his/her views. If the judge determines that a JIPS order is appropriate, he/she will enter an order directing you and the child to follow certain rules and participate in services. The Human Services case manager who initially met with you will be directed to supervise the order of the Court and report back to the court the progress you and your child are making. The case manager acts on behalf of the court and also as a resource or support to you and your child. If, however, the youth does not follow through with the Court's order, the case manger will attempt to address it with you and the juvenile but, if the youth continues to violate the order, the case manager will report that activity to court and you and your child will have to appear before the judge once again.
You may review a series of Frequently Asked Questions about JIPS by clicking JIPS Petition. Or, for further information about the Juvenile in Need of Protection and Services petitions, you may call: 262-638-6321 or e-mail atIandA@goracine.org. If you would like to download instructions about how to file a private JIPS petition, click here.