Youth Court/Family Treatment Court

Hancock County Youth Court

The Youth Court is responsible for handling cases and conducting court hearings involving persons under the age of 18 in the following categories:

  1. Delinquent Child: a child who has reached his 10th birthday and has committed a crime that would be punishable which if committed by an adult.
  2. Child in Need of Supervision: a child who has reached his 7th birthday and is in need of treatment or rehabilitation because the child is either habitually disobedient of reasonable and lawful commands of his parent, guardian, or custodian and is ungovernable; or fails to attend school as required by law.
  3. Child in Need of Special Care: a child with any mental or physical illness that cannot be treated with the dispositional alternatives ordinarily available to the youth court.
  4. Abused Child: to include, but is not limited to, a child whose parent, guardian or custodian or any person responsible for his care or support, whether legally obligated to do so or not, has caused or allowed to be caused upon said child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, emotional abuse, mental injury, non-accidental physical injury or other maltreatment. "Sexual abuse" means obscene or pornographic photographing, filming or depiction of children for commercial purposes, or the rape, molestation, incest, prostitution, or other such forms of sexual exploitation of children under circumstances that indicate that the child's health or welfare is harmed or threatened.
  5. Neglected Child: to include, but is not limited to, a child whose parent, guardian or custodian, or any person responsible for his care or support, neglects or refuses, when able so to do, to provide for him proper and necessary care or support, or education as required by law, or medical, or other care necessary for his well-being.
  6. Dependent Child: a child who is not a child in need of supervision, a delinquent child, an abused child, or a neglected child, and which child has been voluntarily placed in the custody of the Department of Human Services by his parent, guardian, or custodian.

If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, please call the Abuse and Neglect hotline at 800-222-8000.

If you would like to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer to help abused and neglected children, please call 228-344-0419.