AI-assisted research summary: The department must create, publish, update, and distribute information guides and related materials about services for children and families, and certain agencies must post the guide on their websites.
984.071 Resources and information.—(1) The department shall develop and publish an information guide that explains the current process under this chapter for obtaining assistance for a child in need of services or a family in need of services and the community services and resources available to parents. The information guide shall be published in a written format for distribution and shall also be published on the department’s website. Each information guide shall be reviewed annually and updated as appropriate. The school district shall distribute this information guide to parents of truant children, and to other parents upon request or as deemed appropriate by the school district. In addition, the department shall distribute the information guide to state and local law enforcement agencies. Any law enforcement officer who has contact with the parent of a child who is locked out of the home, who is ungovernable, or who runs away from home shall make the information guide available to the parent. (2) The department, in collaboration with organizations that provide expertise, training, and advocacy in the areas of family and domestic violence, shall develop and maintain updated information and materials describing resources and services available to parents and legal custodians who are victims of domestic violence committed by children or who fear that they will become victims of such acts and to children who have committed acts of domestic violence or who demonstrate behaviors that may escalate into domestic violence. Such resources and services shall include, but are not limited to, those available under this chapter, domestic violence services available under chapter 39, and juvenile justice services available pursuant to chapter 985, including prevention, diversion, detention, and alternative placements. The materials shall describe how parents and legal custodians may access the resources and services in their local area. The department shall post this information on its website and make the materials available to certified domestic violence centers, other organizations serving victims of domestic violence, clerks of court, law enforcement agencies, and other appropriate organizations for distribution to the public. (3) The Department of Education and the Department of Children and Families must each post the department’s information guide on their respective websites.