Colorado § 19-2.5-107 - Parental accountability - legislative intent.

§ 19-2.5-107. Parental accountability - legislative intent.

(1) (a) The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of any juvenile subject to proceedings pursuant to this article 2.5 is required to attend all proceedings that may be brought pursuant to this article 2.5 concerning the juvenile. The court may impose contempt sanctions against the parent, guardian, or legal custodian for failure, without good cause, to attend any proceeding concerning the juvenile; except that, if the juvenile's legal custodian is a county department of human or social services or the state department of human services, the legal custodian need not attend any proceeding at which the juvenile's guardian ad litem is present.

(b) For any juvenile adjudicated pursuant to this article 2.5, the court may specify its expectations for the juvenile's parent, guardian, or legal custodian, so long as the parent, guardian, or legal custodian is a party to the delinquency proceedings.

(2) (a) The general assembly determines that families play a significant role in the cause and cure of delinquent behavior of children. It is therefore the intent of the general assembly that parents cooperate and participate significantly in the assessment and treatment planning for their children.

(b) Any treatment plan developed pursuant to this article 2.5 may include requirements to be imposed on the juvenile's parent, so long as the parent is a party to the delinquency proceedings. These requirements may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(I) Maximum parent involvement in the sentencing orders;

(II) Participation by the parent in parental responsibility training;

(III) Cooperation by the parent in treatment plans for the juvenile;

(IV) Performance of public service by the parent;

(V) Cost of care reimbursement by the parent;

(VI) Supervision of the juvenile; and

(VII) Any other provisions the court deems to be in the best interests of the juvenile, the parent's other children, or the community.

(c) Any parent who is a party to the delinquency proceedings and who fails to comply with any requirements imposed on the parent in a treatment plan may be subject to contempt sanctions.

(d) The court has discretion to exempt the parent from participation in the juvenile's treatment.

Source: L. 2021: Entire article added with relocations, (SB 21-059), ch. 136, p. 566, § 2, effective October 1.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 19-2-113 as it existed prior to 2021.

ANNOTATION

Although a parent may be held in contempt pursuant to this section, the court is not permitted to impose a suspended jail sentence against a parent to attempt to prevent a failure to comply with the court's order regarding the juvenile's treatment plan. People v. J.M., 22 P.3d 545 (Colo. App. 2000) (decided under former law).