DCF Investigation lawyers in Connecticut will tell you that Connecticut’s Department of Children & Families is always active. Even during a pandemic like COVID-19, DCF is actively screening new reports and launching new investigations. Mandated reporters, like police officers throughout Connecticut, continue to submit reports to DCF.
Yes. Connecticut mandated reporter laws cover a long list of people, including all school employees, health professionals, childcare workers, and police officers. Essentially, these groups of people are required to make a report to DCF if they have a suspicion of child abuse or neglect. In other words, they don’t need to be able to prove it – it’s enough for them to think it might be occurring.
Yes. Connecticut’s mandated reporter laws are strict. In fact, it’s a crime for a mandated reporter to suspect child abuse or neglect and fail to report it. Because of this, police officers and other mandated reporters will err on the side of caution and report any potential abuse or neglect so that DCF can conduct an investigation.
Top DCF and criminal defense lawyers in Connecticut will tell you that police make DCF reports for a wide range of incidents. For example, if you’re arrested for Assault involving your child, Risk of Injury to a Minor / Child Endangerment, or Leaving your Child Unsupervised in a Car, then you can expect the cops to tell DCF. But even if you’re investigated or arrested for something that does not directly involve you kids – like fighting with your spouse while your kids are home – police will still notify DCF.
Most likely not. Mandated reporter laws are extremely strict, and it’s unlikely that anybody will take the risk of failing to submit a report. However, if DCF accepts the report, an experienced DCF defense lawyer can help you through the entire investigation process.
Once DCF gets a report of suspected child abuse or neglect, it will first screen it. If it accepts the report, then you can expect to be contacted by a DCF social worker. The first contact might be a phone call, or it might be them showing up at your door and wanting to come inside and see your children. If you’re contacted by DCF, politely tell them you’d like to speak with an attorney before speaking to them. Then, contact a top DCF attorney who can make sure that your rights are protected throughout the entire process.
As any skilled Connecticut defense attorney would tell you, whether the police, DCF, or both come knocking at your door you have rights that you can and should assert. You do not have to talk to either the police or DCF without an attorney present. They might try to persuade you to do so, but even the most well-meaning comment could be taken out of context and make for a difficult road ahead of you. The best advice if police or DCF come to your door is to politely ask them to come back once you have spoken to an attorney. To learn more about the benefits of a DCF attorney, click here.
Similar to the police, anything you say to DCF can be used against you- nothing is confidential. When investigating a case, DCF will often reach out to the police department to learn more about any open cases or former cases they may have investigated. Furthermore, if you are arrested and being prosecuted, the courts will generally want to hear from DCF on how their investigation is going. While this cannot be avoided, counsel can help make sure you are cooperating while also advocating diligently for a positive resolution.
Maybe. Criminal charges and DCF allegations are separate, however they can bear on each other. The burden that must be met for a substantiation in a DCF case is much lower than the burden needed for a conviction. If a DCF case is closed with no substantiations, this can be shown to the police or prosecutors as evidence for why a favorable disposition should be had. On the other hand, if a criminal case is closed either pre or post arrest without a conviction, this can be shown to DCF. Getting to closure is where an attorney could help, a skilled Connecticut defense attorney can help you work with DCF and the police to secure your reputation and your future.
If you are being investigated by the Department of Children and Families or suspect that a criminal case may cause the police to get DCF involved, you don’t need to face it alone. Our hundreds of certified 5-star reviews on Avvo.com speak to the help that a defense lawyer can provide. Call the lawyers at Mark Sherman Law today to learn more about your options and the connection between the cops and DCF in Connecticut.
