§ 78A-6-304. Petition filed.

(1) For purposes of this section, "petition" means a petition to commence proceedings in a juvenile court alleging that a child is:

(a) abused;

(b) neglected; or

(c) dependent.

(2)

(a) Subject to Subsection (2)(b), any interested person may file a petition.

(b) A person described in Subsection (2)(a) shall make a referral with the division before the person files a petition.

(3) If the child who is the subject of a petition is removed from the child's home by the division, the petition shall be filed on or before the date of the initial shelter hearing described in Section 78A-6-306.

(4) The petition shall be verified, and contain all of the following:

(a) the name, age, and address, if any, of the child upon whose behalf the petition is brought;

(b) the names and addresses, if known to the petitioner, of both parents and any guardian of the child;

(c) a concise statement of facts, separately stated, to support the conclusion that the child upon whose behalf the petition is being brought is abused, neglected, or dependent; and

(d) a statement regarding whether the child is in protective custody, and if so, the date and precise time the child was taken into protective custody.

Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 3, 2008 General Session