Art. 684. Judgment of disposition

A. The court shall enter into the record a written judgment of disposition specifying the following:

(1) The nature of the disposition.

(2) The maximum duration of the disposition.

(3) The agency, institution, or person to whom the child is assigned, including the responsibilities of any other agency, institution, or person having legal responsibility to secure or provide services to the child which the court has determined are needed.

(4) Any other applicable terms and conditions regarding the disposition.

B. The court shall enter a written order approving the case plan or specific written reasons why it finds the plan does not protect the health and safety of the child or is otherwise not in the best interest of the child.

C. Except as otherwise provided in Article 672.1, when the child is to be removed from his parents' custody, in support of its determination of whether reasonable efforts have been made to prevent removal, the court shall enter findings, including a brief description of what preventive and reunification efforts, or both, were made and why further efforts could or could not have prevented or shortened the separation of the family. If a child is to be or has been placed out-of-state, the court shall determine and enter findings on whether the placement is safe, appropriate, and in the best interest of the child.

D. When a parent is absent, the court shall enter findings regarding diligent efforts by the curator, the department, and others to locate that parent. In the absence of findings to the contrary, efforts to locate the parent shall be presumed sufficient. If the court determines additional search efforts are needed, it shall specifically identify those efforts.

E. In all cases in which the child is removed from his parents' custody and assigned to the department, the court shall advise the parties and all persons before the court of the following:

(1) Procedures governing the case plan, case review, and permanency review procedure, as provided for in Chapters 15 and 16 of this Title.

(2) The obligation of the parents to cooperate with the department, comply with the requirements of the case plan, including their duty to keep the department and their counsel apprised in writing of their current whereabouts, including address, cellular number, telephone number, and any other contact information, and correct the conditions requiring the child to be in care.

(3) The possibility that a petition to terminate parental rights may be filed based on the parents' failure to comply with the case plan, failure to make significant measurable progress toward achieving case plan goals and to correct the conditions requiring the child to be in care, or on any other ground authorized by Article 1015.

(4) The continuing responsibility of all persons before the court to advise the department and the court in writing of the whereabouts, including the address, cellular number, telephone number, and any other contact information, of an absent parent and the identity and the whereabouts, including address, cellular number, telephone number, and any other contact information, of any relative or other individual willing and able to offer a wholesome and stable home for the child.

(5) The continuing responsibility of all persons before the court to support the achievement of timely permanency for the child and the requirement that those persons advise the department and the court in writing of the whereabouts, including the address, cellular number, telephone number, and any other contact information, of all grandparents, all parents of a sibling where such parent has legal custody of such sibling, and all other adult relatives of the child.

F. The date of entry of the judgment of disposition shall be recorded on the judgment. The advisement in Paragraph E of this Article shall be attached to the judgment of disposition and any other orders of the court furnished to the parties.

G. An extract of minutes of court specifying the information in Paragraph A of this Article and signed by the court shall be considered a written judgment of disposition. A copy of the judgment of disposition shall be furnished to the parents, their counsel, or curator.

Acts 1991, No. 235, §6, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 865, §1, eff. June 23, 1993; Acts 1997, No. 612, §1; Acts 1999, No. 449, §1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2006, No. 248, §1; Acts 2015, No. 124, §1, eff. June 19, 2015.