Art. 868 Medical treatment of children; costs

If a case has been filed about a child, the court can step in and make sure the child gets medical or surgical care that's needed. This can happen because the court decides on its own to order it, or because the child or the district attorney asks for it. The point is to make sure the child's health needs don't get ignored while the case is going on.

If a parent doesn't provide the care their child needs, the court has the power to arrange for that care itself. Before doing this, the court has to give the parent proper notice, so the parent isn't caught off guard. Once the care is arranged, the court can also require the parent to pay some or all of the cost.

In short, this rule protects children by making sure they get medical care even if a parent isn't providing it. It also holds parents financially responsible when the court has to step in to get that care arranged.