48.57(1)(a)
(a) To investigate the conditions surrounding nonmarital children, children in need of protection or services, including developmentally disabled children, and unborn children in need of protection or services within the county and to take every reasonable action within its power to secure for them the full benefit of all laws enacted for their benefit. Unless provided by another agency, the county department shall offer social services to the caretaker of any child, and to the expectant mother of any unborn child, who is referred to it under the conditions specified in this paragraph. This duty shall be discharged in cooperation with the court and with the public officers or boards legally responsible for the administration and enforcement of those laws.
48.57(1)(b)
(b) To accept legal custody of children transferred to it by the court under
s. 48.355, to accept supervision over expectant mothers of unborn children who are placed under its supervision under
s. 48.355 and to provide special treatment or care for children and expectant mothers if ordered by the court. A court may not order a county department to administer psychotropic medications to children and expectant mothers who receive special treatment or care under this paragraph.
48.57(1)(c)
(c) To provide appropriate protection and services for children and the expectant mothers of unborn children in its care, including providing services for those children and their families and for those expectant mothers in their own homes, placing those children in licensed foster homes or group homes in this state or another state within a reasonable proximity to the agency with legal custody, placing those children in the homes of guardians under
s. 48.977 (2), or contracting for services for those children by licensed child welfare agencies, except that the county department may not purchase the educational component of private day treatment programs unless the county department, the school board, as defined in
s. 115.001 (7), and the state superintendent of public instruction all determine that an appropriate public education program is not available. Disputes between the county department and the school district shall be resolved by the state superintendent of public instruction.
48.57(1)(d)
(d) To provide for the moral and religious training of children in its care according to the religious belief of the child or of his or her parents.
48.57(1)(e)
(e) If a county department in a county with a population of 500,000 or more and if contracted to do so by the department, to place children in a county children's home in the county under policies adopted by the county board of supervisors, to accept guardianship of children when appointed by the court and to place children under its guardianship for adoption.
48.57(1)(g)
(g) Upon request of the department or the department of corrections, to provide service for any child or expectant mother of an unborn child in the care of those departments.
48.57(1)(h)
(h) To contract with any parent or guardian or other person for the care and maintenance of any child.
48.57(1)(hm)
(hm) If a county department in a county with a population of less than 500,000, to accept guardianship, when appointed by the court, of a child whom the county department has placed in a foster home under a court order or voluntary agreement under
s. 48.63 and to place that child under its guardianship for adoption by the foster parent.
48.57(1)(j)
(j) To use in the media a picture or description of a child in its guardianship for the purpose of finding adoptive parents for that child.
48.57(2)
(2) In performing the functions specified in
sub. (1) the county department may avail itself of the cooperation of any individual or private agency or organization interested in the social welfare of children and unborn children in the county.
48.57(2m)
(2m) A county department, as soon as practicable after learning that a person who is receiving child welfare services under
sub. (1) from the county department has changed his or her county of residence, shall provide notice of that change to the county department of the person's new county of residence or, if that new county of residence is a county having a population of 500,000 or more, the department. The notice shall include a brief, written description of the services offered or provided to the person by the county department and the name, telephone number, and address of a person to contact for more information.
48.57(3)(a)(a) From the reimbursement received under
s. 46.495 (1) (d), counties may provide funding for the maintenance of any child who:
48.57(3)(a)2.
2. Is enrolled in and regularly attending a secondary education classroom program leading to a high school diploma;
48.57(3)(a)4.
4. Is living in a foster home, group home, residential care center for children and youth, or subsidized guardianship home.
48.57(3)(b)
(b) The funding provided for the maintenance of a child under
par. (a) shall be in an amount equal to that which the child would receive under
s. 48.569 (1) (d) if the child were 17 years of age.
48.57(3m)(a)1.
1. "Child" means a person under 18 years of age or a person 18 years of age or over, but under 19 years of age, who is a full-time student in good academic standing at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent and who is reasonably expected to complete his or her program of study and be granted a high school or high school equivalency diploma.
48.57(3m)(a)2.
2. "Kinship care relative" means a relative other than a parent.
48.57(3m)(am)
(am) From the appropriation under
s. 20.437 (2) (md), the department shall reimburse counties having populations of less than 500,000 for payments made under this subsection and shall make payments under this subsection in a county having a population of 500,000 or more. Subject to
par. (ap), a county department and, in a county having a population of 500,000 or more, the department shall make payments in the amount of $220 per month to a kinship care relative who is providing care and maintenance for a child if all of the following conditions are met:
48.57(3m)(am)1.
1. The kinship care relative applies to the county department or department for payments under this subsection and, if the child is placed in the home of the kinship care relative under a court order, for a license to operate a foster home.
48.57(3m)(am)1m.
1m. The county department or department determines that there is a need for the child to be placed with the kinship care relative and that the placement with the kinship care relative is in the best interests of the child.
48.57(3m)(am)2.
2. The county department or department determines that the child meets one or more of the criteria specified in
s. 48.13 or
938.13, that the child would be at risk of meeting one or more of those criteria if the child were to remain in his or her home or, if the child is 18 years of age or over, that the child would meet or be at risk of meeting one or more of those criteria as specified in this subdivision if the child were under 18 years of age.
48.57(3m)(am)4.
4. The county department or department conducts a background investigation under
sub. (3p) of the kinship care relative, any employee and prospective employee of the kinship care relative who has or would have regular contact with the child for whom the payments would be made and any other adult resident of the kinship care relative's home to determine if the kinship care relative, employee, prospective employee or adult resident has any arrests or convictions that could adversely affect the child or the kinship care relative's ability to care for the child.