CHINS (Child in Need of Services) is a legal term commonly used to describe a youth who are 7-17 and are truant from school, repeatedly running away, or repeatedly disobeying their parent or guardian. A typical process for dealing with such youth involves police or schools filing CHINS complaints with Juvenile Court. Involvement in Juvenile Court can be costly and is sometimes unnecessary depending on the current family and youth situation. A CHINS petition, which is filed with the Juvenile Court, leads to a Juvenile Probation/Parole Officer being assigned to the youth, a juvenile record for the youth, and the family needing to reimburse the Court for services that are assigned.
The CHINS Diversion Program is used to help families receive similar assistance and services that are available from the Juvenile Court system without the expense or court record. The CHINS Diversion Program exists to prevent unnecessary court involvement by youth and families going through difficult times. The program is designed to help youth that are just starting to skip school, run away from home, and/or be defiant with authority members. The earlier the youth works with the case worker, the better. The Caseworker for the program is available to offer information and to help families access the services that may be useful. Case Management services are provided on a short‑term basis to assess the issues, develop a service plan, and monitor progress. It is important that both the youth and the parent(s) agree to cooperate with and participate in the CHINS Diversion Program. Effective change requires involvement by all family members.
If the CHINS matter can be resolved through involvement and participation with the CHINS Diversion Program, the case will close with the Program without an appearance before a judge, or the youth having acquired a court record. If services have not helped improve the situation, the case will be closed with the CHINS Diversion Program and this information will be communicated to the referral source for a determination of further action.
If you have any further questions regarding CHINS or CHINS Diversion, please do not hesitate to contact the CHINS Diversion Case worker at 757-1800.