After a report of suspected abuse or neglect is made, DCF will contact you to begin an investigation. DCF will interview you and your children and will ask you to sign an agreement during your first visit. This agreement is legally binding and will remain in place until your DCF case is closed—which could be months. Most people don’t realize they do not need to sign any agreement or accept services during the initial meeting, especially without consulting with an attorney. Read more about being represented by a Connecticut DCF attorney here.
DCF will often request that parents complete training courses or accept DCF referrals to therapists for both parents and kids. Sometimes DCF will even threaten to take you to court and remove your child from your home if you refuse these services. You don’t need to accept services and have the right to push back on DCF’s demands. Experienced DCF attorneys know how to navigate DCF demands while still working to keep your family intact and out of the juvenile court system.
If DCF requests that you take a drug test be aware that the results of your test can lead to additional DCF intervention within your family, continued monitoring, and potential removal of your children from your home. During their investigation, DCF can take any necessary steps to ensure the safety of your child—including removal if there is a speculation that you are caring for your child while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Failing a DCF required drug test means continued DCF involvement in your home, additional services being foisted on you, including alcohol and drug treatment, and the chance of court invention to remove your child from your home. Sometimes DCF will even stop you from being alone with your children if you fail a drug test, or will seek judicial intervention to remove your child from your home. DCF can and will take your to juvenile court to file a a Motion for an Order of Temporary Custody of your child and a Petition of Neglect against you if the agency believes your child is in imminent danger. Consult an experienced attorney before taking a drug test that could result in losing custody of your child.
Contact a Westport DCF defense attorney as soon as you learn you are being investigated for suspected child abuse or neglect, or if you have already been investigated and are now struggling to get DCF out of your life. The attorneys at Mark Sherman Law have experienced handling DCF investigations and can help you decide what is best for your family – read from hundreds of certified Avvo.com reviews. Learn more about whether you can refuse a DCF drug test in Connecticut today.
