2011 Wyoming Statutes
TITLE 14 - CHILDREN
CHAPTER 6 - JUVENILES
14-6-244. Parental liability for failure to exercise reasonable control and authority.

(a) A parent or guardian having custody of a child shall exercise such parental control and authority over the child as is reasonably necessary to prevent the child from engaging in delinquent acts.

(b) If the court finds at the hearing of a juvenile petition that the parent or guardian having custody of the child has failed or neglected to subject the juvenile to reasonable parental control and authority, and that such failure or neglect is the proximate cause of the act or acts of the juvenile upon which a finding of delinquency is based, the court may, if the child is placed on probation, require the parent or guardian to furnish a cash deposit or bond in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00), conditioned upon the faithful discharge of the conditions of the child's probation.

(c) The court may declare all or part of a cash deposit or bond posted under subsection (b) of this section forfeited if:

(i) The juvenile commits a subsequent delinquent act or is found to be in contempt of court or to have violated the terms of his probation; and

(ii) The court, after hearing, finds that the child's act was proximately caused by the failure or neglect of the parent or guardian to subject the juvenile to reasonable parental control and authority, including, but not limited to, enforcement of curfew, home detention, school attendance, or other conditions of probation.

(d) Funds received upon forfeiture of a cash deposit or bond under subsection (c) of this section shall be applied in payment of damages, if any, which may have been caused by the juvenile. The balance of the proceeds shall be retained by the court to apply to any future damages resulting from the act or acts of the juvenile until the juvenile reaches eighteen (18) years of age at which time any remaining proceeds shall be returned to the parent or guardian.

(e) The provisions of this section as it relates to the failure or neglect of a parent or guardian to subject a child to reasonable parental control and authority, are in addition to and not in substitution for any other requirements of law. The provisions of this section shall not apply to foster parents.