Juvenile Courts Services

Overview of Iowa's Juvenile Court System

The juvenile court is a specialized court within the district court that presides over four kinds of cases related to children:

1. Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) cases most typically involve abused, abandoned, or neglected children, and sometimes lead to termination of parental rights.
2. Delinquency cases involve acts that would be considered criminal acts if committed by an adult.
3. Commitment proceedings involve the placement of a child in a hospital or other treatment facility   for mental illness or a substance abuse problem.
4. Adoption.

Each year thousands of Iowa children come under the umbrella of the juvenile court. This outline is a brief overview of the juvenile court system and its procedures.