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SDLA Compliance Resource

Notify the Juvenile Court About a Surrogate Parent Appointment or Change

A court-response control for tracking JV-535 referrals, making reasonable appointment efforts, filing the current JV-536 response, notifying required parties, and preserving educational decision-making continuity.

  • Special Education
  • Surrogate Parent
  • Court Notice
Date(s)Act on a JV-535 referral promptly; make reasonable efforts to appoint within 30 calendar days. Use current Rule 5.650 and JV-536 deadlines—generally five court days for appointment/change notices under the current rule
Applies toLEAs receiving a juvenile-court referral to appoint a surrogate for a dependent or ward who may need or already receives special education

In Plain Language: When the court limits parental educational rights and refers the child on JV-535, the LEA must promptly determine surrogate eligibility, make reasonable efforts to appoint within 30 calendar days, and report the appointment—or inability and continuing efforts—on the current JV-536 to the court and required parties.

Why this matters

Without a lawful educational decision maker, assessment consent, IEP participation, placement, records, and dispute rights can stall. Court and LEA records must identify the same person.

Joint ownership

Owner: designated LEA surrogate-parent coordinator. Partners: juvenile court clerk, child's attorney, social worker/probation officer, school/SELPA, records, and the appointed surrogate.

Operational workflow

  1. 1. Date-stamp JV-535 service, calendar the 30-day appointment effort and current JV-536 court-day deadlines, and identify required recipients.
  2. 2. Determine whether a surrogate is legally needed; recruit, screen conflicts/qualifications, appoint, and train an eligible person who will represent the child.
  3. 3. File current JV-536 within the applicable deadline and send required copies; if unable to appoint, report continuing reasonable efforts as directed.
  4. 4. When the surrogate resigns, is terminated, or is replaced, preserve decision-making continuity and send the required new JV-536 notice.

Court referral pathway

JV-535 received and clocks opened
Need/eligibility and conflicts reviewed
Reasonable efforts; appointment within 30 calendar days
JV-536 filed on current five-court-day schedule
Surrogate trained and connected to pupil records/meetings
Any change promptly reported

Evidence to retain

  • JV-535 service and deadline calculation
  • Search, eligibility, conflict, and appointment records
  • Training and child-contact evidence
  • JV-536 filing and recipient delivery proof
  • Resignation/termination/replacement and continuity record

Official guidance and help

Source review completed August 30, 2026. Verify current federal and California law, court or OAH instructions, local SELPA procedures, individual circumstances, and the exact service and records state before acting.