Art. 697 Intervention

If you have a real interest in a child's case, you may be able to join the court proceedings even if you're not one of the main parties. This could include relatives, foster parents, agencies, or other people or groups who care about what happens to the child. The judge or review board has to agree to let you join, and you need a good reason for wanting to be part of the case. The main goal is making sure the child ends up in a safe, permanent home and that the child's best interests come first.

Even if you're allowed to join the case, the court doesn't have to give you full participation rights. If another party in the case asks, and shows good reason, the court can limit what you're allowed to do or say during the hearing. This means you might be allowed to join but only have a limited role, like providing information on certain issues rather than participating in every part of the case.