Rule 22.3 Duty of Clerk Upon Filing of Petition Alleging Delinquency or CHINS

When someone files a petition saying a child has broken the law or is a Child in Need of Services (CHINS), the court clerk has a specific job to do right away. The clerk must search the court's records to find out if that child is currently in foster care.

This step matters because a child's foster care status can affect how the court handles the case. Knowing this information early helps the court make better decisions about what happens next for the child.