Florida Child Welfare Case Manager Certification Practice Exam

When must Pds and case plan be filed?

1. Within three days of the disposition hearing

2. Before the disposition hearing

3. Within a week of the child being taken into custody

4. After parental rights have been terminated

The correct answer is: Within three days of the disposition hearing

The Pds (pleadings or petitions) and case plan must be filed within three days of the disposition hearing. This is because at this stage of the legal process, a decision is made about what will happen to the child, including whether child welfare services will be involved. Therefore, it is important for the Pds and case plan to be filed promptly in order to inform and guide the decision-making process. Option B is incorrect because it states that the Pds and case plan should be filed before the disposition hearing, when in fact the three-day deadline starts from the day of the disposition hearing. Option C is incorrect because "taken into custody" refers to a different stage of the legal process, called the shelter care hearing, which takes place before the disposition hearing. Option D is incorrect because it refers to a much later stage in the legal process, when parental rights have