Florida legal term
Family in need of services in Florida Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Florida legislative session
In Florida criminal law, “Family in need of services” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Florida criminal code.
What does “Family in need of services” mean in Florida criminal law?
“Family in need of services” means a family that has a child who is running away; who is ungovernable and persistently disobeying reasonable and lawful demands of the parent or legal custodian and is beyond the control of the parent or legal custodian; or who is a habitual truant or engaging in other serious behaviors that place the child at risk of future abuse, neglect, or abandonment or at risk of entering the juvenile justice system. (Fla. Stat. § 984.03)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.