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HomeWelfare and Institutions CodeDiv. 2Pt. 1Ch. 2Art. 8§ 332 Juvenile Dependency Petition Requirements

§ 332 Juvenile Dependency Petition Requirements

Welfare and Institutions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 332 Juvenile Dependency Petition Requirements

Key Takeaways

  • •A petition to the juvenile court must include basic info like the child's name, age, and address, and the names of parents or guardians.
  • •The petition must explain why the child needs the court's help, with clear facts.
  • •If the child is being held somewhere, the petition must say where and when they were taken there.
  • •Parents or guardians may have to pay for the child's care, legal help, and supervision if the court orders it.

Example

A child is not safe at home because their parents are not taking care of them properly.

Someone (like a teacher or a neighbor) can file a petition to the juvenile court. The petition must include the child's name, age, and address, the parents' names, and a clear explanation of why the child is not safe. If the court agrees, the parents might have to pay for the child's care while the court figures out what to do.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 332 Juvenile Dependency Petition Requirements

A petition to commence proceedings in the juvenile court to declare a child a dependent child of the court shall be verified and shall contain all of the following: (a) The name of the court to which it is addressed. (b) The title of the proceeding. (c) The code section and the subdivision under which the proceedings are instituted. If it is alleged that the child is a person described by subdivision (e) of Section 300, the petition shall include an allegation pursuant to that section. (d) The name, age, and address, if any, of the child upon whose behalf the petition is brought. If it is known or there is reason to know the child is an Indian child, the petition shall also include the last known address of the child. (e) The names and residence addresses, if known to the petitioner, of all parents, any guardian of the child, and any Indian custodian. If there is no parent, guardian, or Indian custodian residing within the state, or if his or her place of residence is not known to the petitioner, the petition shall also contain the name and residence address, if known, of any adult relative residing within the county, or, if there is none, the adult relative residing nearest to the location of the court. If it is known to the petitioner that one of the parents is a victim of domestic violence and that parent is currently living separately from the batterer-parent, the address of the victim-parent shall remain confidential. (f) A concise statement of facts, separately stated, to support the conclusion that the child upon whose behalf the petition is being brought is a person within the definition of each of the sections and subdivisions under which the proceedings are being instituted. (g) The fact that the child upon whose behalf the petition is brought is detained in custody or is not detained in custody, and if he or she is detained in custody, the date and the precise time the child was taken into custody. (h) A notice to the father, mother, spouse, or other person liable for support of the child, of all of the following: (1) Section 903 makes that person, the estate of that person, and the estate of the child, liable for the cost of the care, support, and maintenance of the child in any county institution or any other place in which the child is placed, detained, or committed pursuant to an order of the juvenile court; (2) Section 903.1 makes that person, the estate of that person, and the estate of the child, liable for the cost to the county of legal services rendered to the child or the parent by a private attorney or a public defender appointed pursuant to the order of the juvenile court; (3) Section 903.2 makes that person, the estate of that person, and the estate of the child, liable for the cost to the county of the supervision of the child by the social worker pursuant to the order of the juvenile court; and (4) the liabilities established by these sections are joint and several. (Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 833, Sec. 24. (AB 3176) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

petitionspousecustodydomestic violenceportresidencenative americanprotection

Related Statutes

  • § 340 Minor Protective Custody Warrants
  • § 375 Juvenile Court Case Transfer
  • § 224.2 Indian Child Inquiry Duty
  • § 290.1 Juvenile Detention Notice Requirements
  • § 290.2 Juvenile Court Notice Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 332.
View Official Source