What is the difference between a CHINS that goes to court and the CHINS Diversion Program?
When a CHINS petition goes to court the juvenile is brought in front of a judge to see if the charges against him or her are found true. If they are indeed found true then the juvenile is assigned to a Juvenile Probation Officer as well as having to follow through with what has been court ordered be the judge. The juvenile will then have a juvenile record. The City of Keene CHINS Diversion Program is designed to give both the juvenile and the family another chance before going to court. The program is free of cost to participate in. There is a caseworker assigned to the case that spends three months working with the family to find the community resources available to help combat the current home situation. The aim of the program is to divert the case form going to court while still allowing families to assess the services that they need. Participation in the program does not result in a juvenile record. To be eligible for the CHINS Diversion Program the juvenile can no have a past or p
