Educational Neglect is broadly defined in the Department of Children & Families’ regulations. But, essentially, DCF can investigate you for Educational Neglect if it receives a report that your school-aged child has excessive absences from school. If DCF finds that you intentionally caused you child to miss school, or that it was a result of your neglect, DCF can even substantiate Educational Neglect against you.
DCF agents will usually get a referral from your child’s school regarding absences. After speaking with your child’s teacher or school administrator, agents will show up at your door or call you without warning. They will want to see your child and confirm that he or she is safe. For more on what happens in a DCF investigation, click here.
First DCF looks at the number of absences. The DCF worker should also consider your child’s age, any health concerns, and how he or she is doing in school. DCF should also consider the reason for any alleged absences and if you made any effort to speak with your child’s school about any ongoing issues.
DCF may still become involved in your family, but typically when you make an effort to send you teenager to school but he or she skips class, it’s considered to be a truancy case, and not necessarily an Educational Neglect case.
You don’t have to send your child to school, but you need to provide some type of education during school-age years, i.e. 5 years old through 17 or 18 years old. Home instruction is allowed in Connecticut, as long as you fill out an “Intent to Homeschool” form with the Connecticut Department of Education and provide an acceptable curriculum.
Sometimes. The best DCF attorneys in Connecticut know that DCF investigations can go two ways: A Family Assessment Response (“FAR”) or a full intake/investigation. While the investigation can change tracks at any time, a FAR does not result in a substantiation decision, while a full investigation does. For more on the differences between the two, click here.
If your child is missing school, chances are you are already dealing with a stressful situation at home, whether it’s related to health or something else. Remember that if DCF comes out to investigate you, you have the right to an attorney at every step of the way. Make sure you have someone by your side who can effectively represent you and protect your rights. You can see reviews from hundreds of past clients at Avvo.com. Then give us a call today to learn more about educational neglect in Connecticut DCF cases and how to defend against these allegations.
