48.366 Extended out-of-home care.

(1) Applicability. This section applies to a person who is a full-time student of a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent, for whom an individualized education program under s. 115.787 is in effect, and to whom any of the following applies:

(a) The person is placed in a foster home, group home, or residential care center for children and youth, in the home of a relative other than a parent, or in a supervised independent living arrangement under an order under s. 48.355, 48.357, or 48.365 that terminates as provided in s. 48.355 (4) (b) 1., 2., or 3., 48.357 (6) (a) 1., 2., or 3., or 48.365 (5) (b) 1., 2., or 3. on or after the person attains 18 years of age.

(b) The person is in the guardianship and custody of an agency specified in s. 48.427 (3m) (a) 1. to 4. or (am) under an order under s. 48.43 that terminates on the date on which the person attains 18 years of age.

(c) The person is placed in a shelter care facility on the date on which an order specified in par. (a) or (b) terminates.

(2) Transition-to-discharge hearing.

(a) Not less than 120 days before an order described in sub. (1) (a) or (b) terminates, the agency primarily responsible for providing services under the order shall request the person who is the subject of the order to indicate whether he or she wishes to be discharged from out-of-home care on termination of the order or wishes to continue in out-of-home care under a voluntary agreement under sub. (3). If the person is subject to an order under s. 48.355, 48.357, or 48.365 described in sub. (1) (a), the agency shall also request the person to indicate whether he or she wishes to continue in out-of-home care until the date specified in s. 48.365 (5) (b) 4. under an extension of the order. If the person indicates that he or she wishes to be discharged from out-of-home care on termination of the order, the agency shall request a transition-to-discharge hearing under par. (b). If the person indicates that he or she wishes to continue in out-of-home care under an extension of an order under s. 48.355, 48.357, or 48.365 described in sub. (1) (a), the agency shall request an extension of the order under s. 48.365. If the person indicates that he or she wishes to continue in out-of-home care under a voluntary agreement under sub. (3), the agency and the person shall enter into such an agreement.

(b)

1. If the person who is the subject of an order described in sub. (1) (a) or (b) indicates that he or she wishes to be discharged from out-of-home care on termination of the order, the agency primarily responsible for providing services to the person under the order shall request the court to hold a transition-to-discharge hearing and shall cause notice of that request to be provided to that person, the parent, guardian, and legal custodian of that person, any foster parent or other physical custodian described in s. 48.62 (2) of that person, that person's court-appointed special advocate, all parties who are bound by the dispositional order, and, if that person is an Indian child who has been removed from the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian, that person's Indian custodian and tribe.

2. The court shall hold a hearing requested under subd. 1. within 30 days after receipt of the request. Not less than 3 days before the hearing, the agency requesting the hearing shall provide notice of the hearing to all persons who are entitled to receive notice of the request under subd. 1. A copy of the request shall be attached to the notice. If all persons who are entitled to receive the notice consent, the court may proceed immediately with the hearing.

3. At the hearing the court shall review with the person who is the subject of an order described in sub. (1) (a) or (b) the options specified in par. (a). If the person is subject to an order under s. 48.355, 48.357, or 48.365 described in sub. (1) (a), the court shall also advise the person that he or she may continue in out-of-home care as provided in par. (a) under an extension of an order under s. 48.355, 48.357, or 48.365 described in sub. (1) (a) or under a voluntary agreement under sub. (3).

4. If the court determines that the person who is the subject of an order described in sub. (1) (a) or (b) understands that he or she may continue in out-of-home care, but wishes to be discharged from that care on termination of the order, the court shall advise the person that he or she may enter into a voluntary agreement under sub. (3) at any time before he or she is granted a high school or high school equivalency diploma or reaches 21 years of age, whichever occurs first, so long as he or she is a full-time student at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent and an individualized education program under s. 115.787 is in effect for him or her. If the court determines that the person wishes to continue in out-of-home care under an extension of an order under s. 48.355, 48.357, or 48.365 described in sub. (1) (a), the court shall schedule an extension hearing under s. 48.365. If the court determines that the person wishes to continue in out-of-home care under a voluntary agreement under sub. (3), the court shall order the agency primarily responsible for providing services to the person under the order to provide transition-to-independent-living services for the person under that voluntary agreement.

(3) Voluntary transition-to-independent-living agreement.

(a) On termination of an order described in sub. (1) (a) or (b), the person who is the subject of the order, or the person's guardian on behalf of the person, and the agency primarily responsible for providing services to the person under the order may enter into a transition-to-independent-living agreement under which the person continues in out-of-home care and continues to be a full-time student at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent under an individualized education program under s. 115.787 until the date on which the person reaches 21 years of age, is granted a high school or high school equivalency diploma, or terminates the agreement as provided in par. (b), whichever occurs first, and the agency provides services to the person to assist him or her in transitioning to independent living.

(am)

1. No later than 150 days after a transition-to-independent-living agreement is entered into, the agency primarily responsible for providing services under the agreement shall petition the court for a determination that the person's placement in out-of-home care under the agreement is in the best interests of the person. The request shall contain the name and address of the placement and specific information showing why the placement is in the best interests of the person and shall have a copy of the agreement attached to it. The agency shall cause written notice of the petition to be sent to the person who is the subject of the agreement and the person's guardian.

2. On receipt of a petition under subd. 1., the court shall set a date for a hearing on the petition that allows a reasonable time for the parties to prepare but is within 30 days after the date of receipt of the petition. Not less than 3 days before the hearing the agency primarily responsible for providing services under the agreement or the court shall provide notice of the hearing to all persons who are entitled to receive notice under subd. 1. A copy of the petition shall be attached to the notice.

3. If the court finds that the person's placement in out-of-home care under the agreement is in the best interests of the person, the court shall grant an order determining that placement in out-of-home care under the agreement is in the best interests of the person. The court shall grant or deny the order no later than 180 days after the date on which the transition-to-independent-living agreement is entered into.

4. The court shall make the findings under subd. 3. on a case-by-case basis based on circumstances specific to the person and shall document or reference the specific information on which those findings are based in the order under subd. 3. An order that merely references subd. 3. without documenting or referencing that specific information in the order or an amended order that retroactively corrects an earlier order that does not comply with this subdivision is not sufficient to comply with this subdivision.

(b) The person who is the subject of an agreement under par. (a) or his or her guardian may terminate the agreement at any time during the term of the agreement by notifying the agency primarily responsible for providing services under the agreement in writing that the person wishes to terminate the agreement.

(c) A person who terminates a voluntary agreement under this subsection, or the person's guardian on the person's behalf, may request the agency primarily responsible for providing services to the person under the agreement to enter into a new voluntary agreement under this subsection at any time before the person is granted a high school or high school equivalency diploma or reaches 21 years of age, whichever occurs first, so long as the person is a full-time student at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent and an individualized education program under s. 115.787 is in effect for him or her. If the request meets the conditions set forth in the rules promulgated under sub. (4) (b), the agency shall enter into a new voluntary agreement with that person.

(d) If the agency that enters into a voluntary agreement under this subsection is the department or a county department, the voluntary agreement shall also specifically state that the department or the county department has placement and care responsibility for the person who is the subject of the agreement as required under 42 USC 672 (a) (2) and has primary responsibility for providing services to the person.

(3g) Appeal procedures. Any person who is aggrieved by the failure of an agency to enter into a transition-to-independent-living agreement under sub. (3) or by an agency's termination of such an agreement has the right to a contested case hearing under ch. 227.

(3m) Cost of residential care center placements. The department is responsible for meeting the cost of a placement of a child 18 years of age or over in a residential care center for children and youth under a voluntary agreement under sub. (3) or under an order that terminates as provided in s. 48.355 (4) (b) 4., 48.357 (6) (a) 4., or 48.365 (5) (b) 4. The department shall meet that cost from the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (dd) and (pd).

(4) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this section. Those rules shall include all of the following:

(a) Rules permitting a foster home, group home, or residential care center for children and youth to provide care for persons who agree to continue in out-of-home care under an extension of an order described in sub. (1) (a) or a voluntary agreement under sub. (3).

(b) Rules setting forth the conditions under which a person who has terminated a voluntary agreement under sub. (3) and the agency primarily responsible for providing services under the agreement may enter into a new voluntary agreement under sub. (3) (c).

History: 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 31, 107, 359; 1993 a. 98, 385; 1995 a. 27, 77; 1997 a. 27, 35; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 344; 2013 a. 334; 2015 a. 55, 128; 2017 a. 366 s. 99.

Aging Out: Crossing into Adulthood Without a Net. Kilander. Wis. Law. Sept. 2014.