Dependency Law Finder

Florida's dependency statutes, court rules and DCF operating procedures, with the appellate opinions that apply them

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Best interest determination for placement.§ 39.01375

Part I · General Provisions · 2026 Florida Statutes
Each citation is matched to today's text through the statutes the opinion applied (1997 on), so renumbered subsections land in the right place; those show "Cited as".

2 opinions cite § 39.01375

  1. Department of Children & Families v. J.H. 6D2025-0304-2 · 6th DCA 2025

    Reversed This opinion cites § 39.01375 1 time, the section generally

    Order letting denied applicants adopt reversed because the trial court exceeded its limited review of DCF's adoption decision and punished earlier DCF errors.

    …A specific description of the child’s best interests in adoption proceedings took its place. See Fla. Admin. Code R. 65C-16.002(5) (2025) (citing § 39.01375, Fla. Stat. (2024)). 7 review. This included a lengthy spreadsheet that detailed Denied Applicants’…

  2. Department of Children & Families v. J.H. 6D2025-0304 · 6th DCA 2025

    Reversed This opinion cites § 39.01375 1 time, the section generally

    Order letting denied applicants adopt reversed because the trial court exceeded its limited review of DCF's adoption decision and punished earlier DCF errors.

    …A specific description of the child’s best interests in adoption proceedings took its place. See Fla. Admin. Code R. 65C-16.002(5) (2025) (citing § 39.01375, Fla. Stat. (2024)). 7 Denied Applicants attended the AARC’s meeting, where they both acknowledged they…

3 admin code rules cite § 39.01375

DCF's rules in Chapter 65C, Florida Administrative Code, that cite it or name it as the law they implement.

  1. Rule 65C-16.002 Adoptive Family Selection. Implements(2)(3)(a)(5)
  2. Rule 65C-29.003 Child Protective Investigations. Implements(3)(a)1.
  3. Rule 65C-30.023 Multidisciplinary Team Staffing. (2)(i)(7)(d)

0 CFOPs cite § 39.01375

How DCF carries it out. A page opens in the CFOP reader with the citation highlighted.

No CFOP cites § 39.01375.

Shading shows how often opinions cite each provision: rarely sometimes often most. Click a provision to list the opinions citing it.

(1) The child’s age.

(2) The physical, mental, and emotional health benefits to the child by remaining in his or her current placement or moving to the proposed placement.

(3) The stability and longevity of the child’s current placement.

(4) The established bonded relationship between the child and the current or proposed caregiver.

(5) The reasonable preference of the child, if the child is of a sufficient age and capacity to express a preference.

(6) The recommendation of the child’s current caregiver, if applicable.

(7) The recommendation of the child’s guardian ad litem.

(8) The child’s previous and current relationship with a sibling and if the change of legal or physical custody or placement will separate or reunite siblings, evaluated in accordance with s. 39.4024.

(9) The likelihood of the child attaining permanency in the current or proposed placement.

(10) The likelihood the child will be required to change schools or child care placement, the impact of such change on the child, and the parties’ recommendations as to the timing of the change, including an education transition plan required under s. 39.4023.

(11) The child’s receipt of medical, behavioral health, dental, or other treatment services in the current placement; the availability of such services and the degree to which they meet the child’s needs; and whether the child will be able to continue to receive services from the same providers and the relative importance of such continuity of care.

(12) The allegations of any abuse, abandonment, or neglect, including sexual abuse and human trafficking history, which caused the child to be placed in out-of-home care and any history of additional allegations of abuse, abandonment, or neglect.

(13) The likely impact on activities that are important to the child and the ability of the child to continue such activities in the proposed placement.

(14) The likely impact on the child’s access to education, Medicaid, and independent living benefits if moved to the proposed placement.

(15) Any other relevant factor.

History. s. 2, ch. 2021-169; s. 10, ch. 2024-70.