Your child’s school can file a Child Requiring Assistance (CRA) application to ask the Juvenile Court for help with your child if:
Your child is between 6 and 16 and:
- does not obey the staff at school or breaks school rules repeatedly, or
- skips school regularly on purpose. If your child misses 8 days of school in 1 quarter and does not have permission to miss school, they are "habitually truant."
When your child's school files a CRA application about disobedience, they must write the specific steps they took to improve your child’s conduct.
When a school files a CRA application about truancy, they must write on the application:
- if the school has a truancy prevention program,
- if your child and your family participated in their truancy prevention program, and
- the specific steps they took as part of the truancy prevention program to get your child to come to school.
If your child's school files a CRA application, the court will send a copy of the application to you and your child.
The court includes a notice that tells you:
- the time and place of the hearing,
- your child has the right to speak at the hearing, and
- you have the right to speak at the hearing.
The court will appoint an attorney for your child.
The court will also send you a notice about your right to a lawyer.
See Your Right and Your Child’s Right to Have a Lawyer.
See the CRA application form schools use online.