Extension of orders
Wis. Stat. § 48.365
in effect(1) In this section, a child is considered to have been placed outside of his or her home on the date on which the child was first removed from his or her home.
(1m) The parent, child, guardian, legal custodian, Indian custodian, expectant mother, unborn child’s guardian ad litem, any person or agency bound by the dispositional order, the district attorney or corporation counsel in the county in which the dispositional order was entered, or the court on its own motion may request an extension of an order under s. 48.355 including an order under s. 48.355 that was entered before the child was born. The request shall be submitted to the court that entered the order. An order under s. 48.355 may be extended only as provided in this section.
(2) No order may be extended without a hearing. The court shall provide notice of the time and place of the hearing to the child, the child’s parent, guardian, legal custodian, and Indian custodian, all the parties present at the original hearing, the child’s foster parent or other physical custodian described in s. 48.62 (2), the child’s court-appointed special advocate, the district attorney or corporation counsel in the county in which the dispositional order was entered and, if the child is an Indian child who is placed outside the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian, the Indian child’s tribe. If the child is an expectant mother of an unborn child under s. 48.133, the court shall also notify the unborn child’s guardian ad litem. If the extension hearing involves an adult expectant mother of an unborn child under s. 48.133, the court shall notify the adult expectant mother, the unborn child’s guardian ad litem, all the parties present at the original hearing, and the district attorney or corporation counsel in the county in which the dispositional order was entered, of the time and place of the hearing.
(2g)
(a) At the hearing the person or agency primarily responsible for providing services to the child or expectant mother shall file with the court a written report stating to what extent the dispositional order has been meeting the objectives of the plan for the rehabilitation or care and treatment of the child or for the rehabilitation and treatment of the expectant mother and the care of the unborn child.
(b) If the child is placed outside of his or her home, the report shall include all of the following:
1. A copy of the report of the review panel under s. 48.38 (5), if any, and a response to the report from the agency primarily responsible for providing services to the child.
2. An evaluation of the child’s adjustment to the placement and of any progress the child has made, suggestions for amendment of the permanency plan, and specific information showing the efforts that have been made to achieve the permanency goal of the permanency plan, including, if applicable, the efforts of the parents to remedy the factors that contributed to the child’s placement.
3. If the child has been placed outside of his or her home in a foster home, group home, residential care center for children and youth, or shelter care facility for 15 of the most recent 22 months, not including any period during which the child was a runaway from the out-of-home placement or was residing in a trial reunification home, a statement of whether or not a recommendation has been made to terminate the parental rights of the parents of the child. If a recommendation for a termination of parental rights has been made, the statement shall indicate the date on which the recommendation was made, any previous progress made to accomplish the termination of parental rights, any barriers to the termination of parental rights, specific steps to overcome the barriers and when the steps will be completed, reasons why adoption would be in the best interest of the child, and whether or not the child should be registered with the adoption information exchange. If a recommendation for termination of parental rights has not been made, the statement shall include an explanation of the reasons why a recommendation for termination of parental rights has not been made. If the lack of appropriate adoptive resources is the primary reason for not recommending a termination of parental rights, the agency shall recommend that the child be registered with the adoption information exchange or report the reason why registering the child is contrary to the best interest of the child.
4. If the child is an Indian child who is placed outside the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian, specific information showing that active efforts under s. 48.028 (4) (d) 2. have been made to prevent the breakup of the Indian child’s family and that those efforts have proved unsuccessful.
(c) In cases where the child has not been placed outside the home, the report shall contain a description of efforts that have been made by all parties concerned toward meeting the objectives of treatment, care or rehabilitation, an explanation of why these efforts have not yet succeeded in meeting the objective, and anticipated future planning for the child.
(2m)
(a)
1. Any party may present evidence relevant to the issue of extension. If the child is placed outside of his or her home, the person or agency primarily responsible for providing services to the child shall present as evidence specific information showing that the person or agency has made reasonable efforts to achieve the permanency goal of the child’s permanency plan, including, if appropriate, through an out-of-state placement. If an Indian child is placed outside the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian, the person or agency primarily responsible for providing services to the Indian child shall also present as evidence specific information showing that active efforts under s. 48.028 (4) (d) 2. have been made to prevent the breakup of the Indian child’s family and that those efforts have proved unsuccessful.
1m. The judge shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law based on the evidence. The findings of fact shall include a finding as to whether reasonable efforts were made by the person or agency primarily responsible for providing services to the child to achieve the permanency goal of the child’s permanency plan, including, if appropriate, through an out-of-state placement. If the child is an Indian child who is placed outside the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian, the findings of fact shall also include a finding that active efforts under s. 48.028 (4) (d) 2. were made to prevent the breakup of the Indian child’s family and that those efforts have proved unsuccessful. An order shall be issued under s. 48.355.
1r.
a. If the child is placed outside of his or her home and if the child has one or more siblings, as defined in s. 48.38 (4) (br) 1., who have also been placed outside the home, the person or agency primarily responsible for providing services to the child shall present as evidence specific information showing that the agency has made reasonable efforts to place the child in a placement that enables the sibling group to remain together, unless the court has determined that a joint placement would be contrary to the safety or well-being of the child or any of those siblings, in which case the agency shall present as evidence specific information showing that agency has made reasonable efforts to provide for frequent visitation or other ongoing interaction between the child and the siblings, unless the court has determined that such visitation or interaction would be contrary to the safety or well-being of the child or any of those siblings.
b. If the child is placed outside the home and if the child has one or more siblings, as defined in s. 48.38 (4) (br) 1., who have also been placed outside the home, the findings of fact shall include a finding as to whether reasonable efforts have been made by the agency primarily responsible for providing services to the child to place the child in a placement that enables the sibling group to remain together, unless the court has determined that a joint placement would be contrary to the safety or well-being of the child or any of those siblings, in which case the findings of fact shall include a finding as to whether reasonable efforts have been made by the agency to provide for frequent visitation or other ongoing interaction between the child and the siblings, unless the court has determined that such visitation or interaction would be contrary to the safety or well-being of the child or any of those siblings.
2. If the judge finds that any of the circumstances specified in s. 48.355 (2d) (b) 1. to 5. applies with respect to a parent, the order shall include a determination that the person or agency primarily responsible for providing services to the child is not required to make reasonable efforts with respect to the parent to make it possible for the child to return safely to his or her home.
3. The judge shall make the findings under subd. 1m. relating to reasonable efforts to achieve the permanency goal of the child’s permanency plan and the findings under subd. 2. on a case-by-case basis based on circumstances specific to the child and shall document or reference the specific information on which those findings are based in the order issued under s. 48.355. An order that merely references subd. 1m. or 2. 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.
(ad) If the judge finds that any of the circumstances under s. 48.355 (2d) (b) 1. to 5. applies with respect to a parent, the judge shall hold a hearing under s. 48.38 (4m) within 30 days after the date of that finding to determine the permanency goal and, if applicable any concurrent permanency goals for the child.
(ag) The court shall give a foster parent or other physical custodian described in s. 48.62 (2) who is notified of a hearing under sub. (2) a right to be heard at the hearing by permitting the foster parent or other physical custodian to make a written or oral statement during the hearing, or to submit a written statement prior to the hearing, relevant to the issue of extension. A foster parent or other physical custodian who receives notice of a hearing under sub. (2) and a right to be heard under this paragraph does not become a party to the proceeding on which the hearing is held solely on the basis of receiving that notice and having the right to be heard.
(b) If a child has been placed outside the home under s. 48.345, or if an adult expectant mother has been placed outside the home under s. 48.347, and an extension is ordered under this subsection, the judge shall state in the record the reason for the extension.
(3) The appearance of any child may be waived by consent of the child, counsel or guardian ad litem.
(4) The judge shall determine which dispositions are to be considered for extensions.
(5)
(a) Except as provided in s. 48.368, an order under this section that continues the placement of a child in his or her home or that relates to an unborn child of an adult expectant mother shall be for a specified length of time not to exceed one year after the date on which the order is granted.
(b) Except as provided in s. 48.368, an order under this section that continues the placement of a child in an out-of-home placement shall be for a specified length of time not to exceed the latest of the following dates:
1. The date on which the child attains 18 years of age.
2. The date that is one year after the date on which the order is granted.
3. The date on which the child is granted a high school or high school equivalency diploma or the date on which the child attains 19 years of age, whichever occurs first, if the child is a full-time student at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent and is reasonably expected to complete the program before attaining 19 years of age.
4. The date on which the child is granted a high school or high school equivalency diploma or the date on which the child attains 21 years of age, whichever occurs first, if the child is a full-time student at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent and if an individualized education program under s. 115.787 is in effect for the child. The court may not grant an order that terminates as provided in this subdivision unless the child is 17 years of age or older when the order is granted and the child, or the child’s guardian on behalf of the child, agrees to the order. At any time after the child attains 18 years of age, the child, or the child’s guardian on behalf of the child, may request the court in writing to terminate the order and, on receipt of such a request, the court, without a hearing, shall terminate the order.
(6) If a request to extend a dispositional order is made prior to the termination of the order, but the court is unable to conduct a hearing on the request prior to the termination date, the court may extend the order for a period of not more than 30 days, not including any period of delay resulting from any of the circumstances specified in s. 48.315 (1). The court shall grant appropriate relief as provided in s. 48.315 (3) with respect to any request to extend a dispositional order on which a hearing is not held within the time period specified in this subsection. Failure to object if a hearing is not held within the time period under this subsection waives any challenge to the court’s competency to act on the request.
(7) Nothing in this section may be construed to allow any changes in placement or trial reunifications. Changes in placement may take place only under s. 48.357, and trial reunifications may take place only under s. 48.358.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/48.365Fetched: 10/7/2026