Powers and duties of county departments providing juvenile welfare services
Wis. Stat. § 938.57
in effect(1) County department duties; powers. Each county department shall administer and expend such amounts as may be necessary out of any moneys which may be appropriated for juvenile welfare purposes by the county board of supervisors or donated by individuals or private organizations. A county department may do any of the following:
(a) Investigate the conditions surrounding delinquent juveniles and juveniles in need of protection or services within the county and take every reasonable action within its power to secure for them the full benefit of all laws enacted for their benefit. Unless provided by another agency, the county department shall offer social services to the caretaker of any juvenile who is referred to it under the conditions specified in this paragraph. This duty shall be discharged in cooperation with the court and with the public officers or boards legally responsible for the administration and enforcement of these laws.
(b) Accept legal custody or supervision of juveniles transferred to it by the court under s. 938.355 and provide special treatment or care if ordered by the court. Except as provided in s. 938.505 (2), a court may not order a county department to administer psychotropic medications to juveniles who receive special treatment or care.
(c) Provide appropriate protection and services for juveniles in its care, including providing services for juveniles and their families in their own homes, placing the juveniles in licensed foster homes or licensed group homes in this state or another state within a reasonable proximity to the agency with legal custody, placing the juveniles in the homes of guardians under s. 48.977 (2), contracting for services for them by licensed child welfare agencies, or replacing them in juvenile correctional facilities or secured residential care centers for children and youth in accordance with rules promulgated under ch. 227, except that the county department may not purchase the educational component of private day treatment programs unless the county department, the school board, as defined in s. 115.001 (7), and the state superintendent of public instruction determine that an appropriate public education program is not available. Disputes between the county department and the school district shall be resolved by the state superintendent of public instruction.
(cm) Provide appropriate services for juveniles who are referred to the county department by a municipal court, except that if the funding, staffing, or other resources of the county department for juvenile welfare services are insufficient to meet the needs of all juveniles who are eligible to receive services from the county department, the county department shall give first priority to juveniles who are referred to it by the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48.
(d) Provide for the moral and religious training of juveniles in its care according to the religious beliefs of the juvenile or of his or her parents.
(f) Provide services to the court under s. 938.06.
(g) Upon request of the department of corrections, provide service for any juvenile in the care of that department.
(h) Contract with any parent or guardian or other person for the care and maintenance of any juvenile.
(2) Assistance from private individuals and organizations. In performing the functions under sub. (1), the county department may accept the assistance of an individual or private agency or organization interested in the social welfare of juveniles in the county.
(2m) Notice of change of county of residence. A county department, as soon as practicable after learning that a person who is receiving juvenile welfare services under sub. (1) from the county department has changed his or her county of residence, shall provide notice of that change to the county department of the person’s new county of residence. The notice shall include a brief, written description of the services offered or provided to the person by the county department and the name, telephone number, and address of a person to contact for more information.
(3) Continuing maintenance for juveniles over 17.
(a) From the reimbursement received under s. 48.569 (1) (d), counties may provide funding for the maintenance of any juvenile who meets all of the following qualifications:
1. Is 17 years of age or older.
2. Is enrolled in and regularly attending a secondary education classroom program leading to a high school diploma.
3. Received funding under s. 48.569 (1) (d) immediately prior to his or her 17th birthday.
4. Is living in a foster home, group home, residential care center for children and youth, or subsidized guardianship home or in a supervised independent living arrangement.
(b) The funding provided for the maintenance of a juvenile under par. (a) shall be in an amount equal to that which the juvenile would receive under s. 48.569 (1) (d) if the juvenile were 16 years of age.
(4) Aftercare supervision. A county department may provide aftercare supervision under s. 938.34 (4n) for juveniles who are released from juvenile correctional facilities or secured residential care centers for children and youth.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/938.57Fetched: 10/7/2026