AI-assisted research summary: The department or its authorized agent must handle intake, check whether reports are complete, return incomplete reports for more information, tell parents or guardians what services and responsibilities apply, and report suspected abandonment, abuse, or neglect to the central abuse hotline.
984.10 Intake.—(1) Intake shall be performed by the department or the department’s authorized agent. A report alleging that a child is from a family in need of services shall be made to the intake office operating in the county in which the child is found or in which the case arose. Any person or agency, including, but not limited to, the parent, legal guardian, or custodian, the local school district, a law enforcement agency, or the Department of Children and Families, having knowledge of the facts may make a report. (2) A representative of the department shall make a preliminary determination as to whether the report is complete. The criteria for the completeness of a report with respect to a child alleged to be from a family in need of services while subject to compulsory school attendance shall be governed by s. 984.03. In any case in which the representative of the department finds that the report is incomplete, the representative of the department shall return the report without delay to the person or agency originating the report or having knowledge of the facts or to the appropriate law enforcement agency having investigative jurisdiction and request additional information in order to complete the report. (3) If the representative of the department determines that in his or her judgment the interests of the family, the child, and the public will be best served by providing the family and child services and treatment voluntarily accepted by the child and the parents, legal guardians, or custodians, the department’s representative may refer the family or child to an appropriate service provider. As part of the intake procedure, the department’s representative shall inform the parent, legal guardian, or custodian, in writing, of the services currently available to the child and family by department providers and other community agencies in the county in which the family is located, and the rights and responsibilities of the parent, legal guardian, or custodian under this chapter. Upon admission, and depending on services, a staff member may be assigned to the family as deemed appropriate. (4) If the department reasonably believes that the child has been abandoned, abused, or neglected, it shall proceed pursuant to chapter 39 and report immediately to the central abuse hotline.