The agency may use any excuse to reopen your closed case if something that could endanger the child is brought to its attention. Financial concerns. Many families end up being investigated by CPS when they fail to provide a stable environment for their children.
Domestic abuse. CPS cases are often reopened multiple times in families with a history of domestic abuse. If you are being investigated by CPS and the agency does not have valid reasons to keep your case open, your case will be closed.
Typically, you will know that your CPS case is closed because the agency will send you a letter notifying you of the closure. However, you may not receive the notification immediately after the investigation concludes, which is why it is advisable to follow up with a CPS caseworker to be aware of the status of your case. However, since each case is unique, it is vital to consult with an attorney to determine how you should deal with CPS in your particular situation.
Letting a CPS investigator enter your home to perform an inspection. They do not want to take your children from you unless it is necessary to protect the child from the immediate risk of harm. An experienced attorney can help you ensure that your CPS case is dismissed, even if it was reopened by the agency. A judge may dismiss a case if there is not enough evidence to prove that the allegations of child abuse or neglect are true.
If you disagree with the findings, contact me immediately to discuss! In most cases, you will receive a letter from CPS telling you whether they closed your case or not. They normally send the letter within 90 days following the investigation.
This process can take a while because of a backlog of CPS cases and because the investigator may consult with their supervisor to determine the appropriate course of action before finalizing their decision. If they decide to close the investigation, then the case is over. They cannot continue to pry into your family. I know it may feel like CPS is a shadow hanging over your family, but you do not have to be fearful during this uncertain time.
That way, you no longer have to worry about CPS investigating your family or talking to your kids. You can reach my offices at or to find support navigating a CPS investigation. Call me right away for CPS legal support. July 1, Blair Parker.
Step 1: The Interview The investigator likely asked to interview your child first. Step 2: Gather Info and Documentation As a parent, you were likely asked to provide the CPS investigator with certain documentation about the alleged abuse. Step 4: Voluntary Participation and Placement If CPS determined that your child was at risk, then the CPS investigator may have asked you to volunteer to place your child with another individual. Step 5: End of Investigation Phase At the end of the investigation, the CPS caseworker will assign a risk level to your case and submit their findings.
If you sign an agreement with the FAR worker, your family can get services for up to 90 days. When meeting with a CPS caseworker, try to speak calmly and clearly.
Ask to have a trusted friend or relative with you for moral support only. That person must not interfere with or be involved in the case. Write down every time you call CPS. If you still do not hear from the caseworker, call the DSHS regional manager. They can start a dependency case with the court when the children are still in your home. If they think your children are in imminent danger, CPS will ask the court for an order giving them temporary custody of the children and allowing them to remove the children from your home.
You might not be there when CPS takes your children. CPS must try to serve a copy of the dependency court papers on you to tell you they have taken the children. They must try to place the children with a relative or other suitable person requested by you. But law enforcement can take your children into protective custody without a court order for up to 72 hours if law enforcement believes both of these: a child. If the child is to remain out of your care for more than 72 hours and CPS wants to get temporary custody, the court must hold a shelter care hearing within that period.
It is a court case that anyone, including a relative, can start to protect children from harm within the family. Usually, CPS files. You have the right to have a lawyer represent you. If you cannot pay for one, tell the judge.
If you can pay for a lawyer, you must hire one. How to find a Lawyer might help with this. If you are not living together or are in different situations, you may each want your own lawyer. You have the right to information.
CPS must try to notify you as soon as possible. The notice must be understandable, considering your primary language, education, and cultural issues. You have the right to services to help reunite your family. DSHS provides some free services directly, or they may send you to an agency they contract with to receive free services. They also might send you to an agency that charges for services. A parent, the child, the guardian ad litem GAL , a caregiver, or the Department can ask the court to appoint a lawyer to represent a child in a dependency.
If a child is 12 years old or older, the Department and GAL must inform the child of their right to ask for an attorney and ask the child if they want an attorney. This might be different from what the children want. This is not the same as the children having a lawyer.
Make sure CPS knows your preference for placement relative, friend, and so on. You must go to all your visits with the children. If there are any barriers to your being able to do this, you must let CPS know.
It is your responsibility to support your children. You must keep in regular contact with your lawyer and CPS caseworker. Tell them about changes in address, phone number, job, income, or living arrangements. If you cannot keep an appointment, let them know beforehand. Try to get other kinds of support.
Try to form a network of family, friends, and community professionals who care about you and your family and who can help out, if needed. It can help to have family, friends, church members, counselors and others tell the judge good things about you and your family. Follow advice and use services. Listen to and get help from teachers, medical providers, and counselors working with you and your children whenever you can.
Within 72 hours of CPS filing a dependency petition, if the children are not removed from your home. If the children are to stay out of your home, the judge will ask CPS what it has done to try to place the children with a relative or family friend. The judge also decides. The judge cannot order you to take exams, be evaluated, or use services unless you agree.
But the court can remove your children if you do not agree. There is a 2nd hearing 30 days after the hour hearing. The judge checks to see if the situation has changed. CPS cannot place your children in shelter care for more than 30 days without a court order. There may be a case conference after the day hearing.
CPS must offer you a case conference unless one of these is true:. You talk about.
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