- UPDATE: Local Departments of Social Services are expected to submit their Differential Response Plan (DRP) to the Office of Children and Family Services by November 14, 2022. The local DRP may not be available until after November 14th.
- The age of juvenile delinquency will be raised to 12 years old effective December 29, 2022. Children under 12 years old cannot be arrested and adjudicated in Family Court except for severe offenses.
- Alternatively, children between ages 7 to 11 engaging in behaviors that would have previously resulted in an arrest and adjudication in Family Court, instead will receive an option for a voluntary differential response support(s) and service(s) coordinated by the Local Department of Social Services (LDSS). The differential response option(s) is not available to children under seven (7) years old and over the age of eleven (11).
- The Department encourages districts and schools to:
- use proactive strategies to support students with challenging behaviors;
- partner with their LDSS to develop the local differential response plans;
- participate in related training opportunities provided by the LDSS; and
- consider mapping out available community resources children and families can access to address challenging behaviors.