A Parental Guide On Juvenile Dependency

Parenting is hard work, and you learn from your mistakes. But even an unintentional parenting fail can land you into legal trouble, no matter how much you love your children. You may face a juvenile dependency case, where a parent is suspected and penalized for abusing or neglecting kids. A false allegation can cause trauma to parents and affect the emotional and mental stability of children. It may even lead to separation as the court may take your kids away and put them in foster care. As a parent, you must be aware of juvenile dependency to avert the risk of losing the custody of your children due to inadvertent mistakes and false allegations. Here is a parental guide you can rely on.

The role of CPS

Child Protective Services (CPS) plays a crucial role in juvenile dependency cases. It is the government agency that investigates reports and referrals of child abuse or neglect. The agency gets involved when they get a tip on a parent being violent or engaging in abuse or neglect of a child. It also comes into the picture if a newborn tests positive for drugs. The CPS investigates suspected parents, and the case goes into the juvenile dependency court once they find a discrepancy and remove the child from parental custody.

Possibilities of a juvenile dependency case

While abuse and neglect are the primary components of a CPS investigation and a juvenile dependency case, much more may get you into a fix. According to the team of All Trial Lawyers, you must know all the possibilities that can lead to a legal process making your child dependent on the court. Here are the circumstances you must be aware of-

• Severe physical harm, intentional or accidental
• Severe physical harm due to neglect, caused by improper medical care, failure to properly supervise, mental health issues, or drug addiction issues
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Absence of support and care

The child may have suffered from these abusive or negligent actions, or they may be at the risk of suffering from them. If the court and agencies believe, either way, they can bring a case against the parents.

Legal assistance is crucial

Once the authorities decide to initiate a dependency case, the court schedules the Detention Hearing.  The child may be taken away from you or allowed to stay but with Social Services supervision. The court decides what it believes to be in the best interest of the kid. It may even send the child to foster care during the case proceedings. The situation can be daunting for parents when they are falsely implicated or in trouble due to unintentional reasons. Legal assistance is crucial because you need an expert to present your side of the story in court. An expert can help your family come together by getting a favorable verdict.

Losing your custody due to a false allegation or a misunderstanding is a nightmare. But you must act quickly and hire an expert to prove your parental reliability in a juvenile dependency case. Experienced lawyers ensure you stay together as a family.