The 19th Circuit Court Family Division utilizes the formal calendar only when the severity of an offense is such that no informal remedies can be effective. It can also be used when the sheer volume of offense requires it, as well as in those cases when informal remedies have not been successfully completed, e.g. Consent Calendar contracts.
A formal calendar track places a youth of formal probation and leaves the youth with a formal juvenile record. In cases where out of home placement is a strong possibility, the terms of the formal calendar outline just what must be achieved by the youth/family to avoid such placement. Services are provided to the youth and family in an intensive fashion and monitoring of these youth is frequent and intense.