Among other things, the court may:

• Order DHS to make reasonable and timely efforts to contact identified relatives of the child, within ninety days, for consideration as a possible placement;
• Authorize or consent to medical, surgical, or dental treatment or care for a child placed in shelter care (if parent’s consent cannot be obtained);
• Authorize a family group conference;
• Cooperate with a GAL or CASA investigation;
• Punish by contempt of court the failure of any party to comply with temporary orders of protection or any other valid temporary order.

When the court enters temporary orders of protection, it is important that the parties clearly understand what the court has ordered. Ideally, all parties should receive a copy of any temporary protective order before they leave the courtroom. In some jurisdictions, judges, magistrates or clerks prepare these orders on laptop computers.  In other courts, a handwritten form is filled out and signed by the judge or magistrate and served on the parties. Even if the court does not prepare the order for distribution to the parties at the hearing, the court should require the county attorney to prepare the order immediately in order to avoid delay and to promote a clear understanding of the order.