Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 48 - Children's code.
48.356 - Duty of court to warn.

48.356 Duty of court to warn.
(1) Whenever the court orders a child to be placed outside his or her home, orders an expectant mother of an unborn child to be placed outside of her home, or denies a parent visitation because the child or unborn child has been adjudged to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.345, 48.347, 48.357, 48.363, or 48.365 and whenever the court reviews a permanency plan under s. 48.38 (5m), the court shall orally inform the parent or parents who appear in court or the expectant mother who appears in court of any grounds for termination of parental rights under s. 48.415 which may be applicable and of the conditions necessary for the child or expectant mother to be returned to the home or for the parent to be granted visitation.
(2) In addition to the notice required under sub. (1), any written order which places a child or an expectant mother outside the home or denies visitation under sub. (1) shall notify the parent or parents or expectant mother of the information specified under sub. (1).
History: 1979 c. 330; 1983 a. 399; 1989 a. 86; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 275; 1997 a. 292; 2003 a. 321; 2009 a. 185.
Substantial compliance is not adequate to meet the sub. (2) notice provision; oral, rather than written, notice is insufficient. In re D.F., 147 Wis. 2d 486, 433 N.W.2d 609 (Ct. App. 1988).
Dismissal of termination proceedings because only two of six dispositional orders contained statutory warnings was inappropriate. The warning is only required on one order. In Interest of K.K., 162 Wis. 2d 431, 469 N.W.2d 881 (Ct. App. 1991).
To comply with sub. (2), the written order must contain the same information as the oral notice under sub. (1); that the notice contained more does not mean sub. (2) was violated. In Interest of Jamie L., 172 Wis. 2d 218, 493 N.W.2d 56 (1992).
When termination is under s. 48.415 (8) for murdering the other parent, no notice under sub. (1) of the conditions necessary for the return of the child is necessary as the grounds for termination, the murder, cannot be remedied. Winnebago County DSS v. Darrell A., 194 Wis. 2d 628, 534 N.W.2d 907 (Ct. App. 1995).
It was a denial of due process to terminate parental rights on grounds substantially different from those that the parent was warned of under this section. State v. Patricia A.P., 195 Wis. 2d 855, 537 N.W.2d 47 (Ct. App. 1995), 95-1164.
The written warning under sub. (2) applies only to orders removing children from placement with their parents or denying parental visitation. Temporary physical custody orders or extensions of those orders may not lead to a loss of parental rights and do not require the written warning. Marinette County v. Tammy C., 219 Wis. 2d 206, 579 N.W.2d 635 (1998), 97-2946.
Section 48.415 (2) (a) 1. makes the written notice in sub. (2) an element to prove in a TPR case grounded in continuing CHIPS. The plain language of s. 48.415 (2) (a) 1. provides that the statutory notice requirements are satisfied when at least one of the CHIPS orders contains the written notice required under sub. (2). Section 48.415 (2) (a) does not require that notice be given in every CHIPS order, and it does not require that notice be in the last CHIPS order. St. Croix County Department of Health and Human Services v. Michael D., 2016 WI 35, 368 Wis. 2d 170, 880 N.W.2d 107, 14-2431.
While notification of any grounds for termination of parental rights necessarily includes the statutory sub-parts comprising each ground, circuit courts must provide notice of only those grounds that “may be applicable” at the time the order is entered. Indeed, the statute does not say that circuit courts must provide notice of grounds that “will be” applicable; this would assign the circuit courts an impossible task. Eau Claire County Department of Human Services v. S.E., 2021 WI 56, 397 Wis. 2d 462, 960 N.W.2d 391, 19-0894.

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