A 51A becomes either supported or unsupported. Unsupported means that DCF found that there is not any evidence If the report is supported, DCF could try and take custody of your child or children; or they may just want to offer services to your family. Other times DCF might try and ask that you voluntarily […]

The answer to that questions is, you are not. You do not have to let them into your home. You do not have to participate in the investigation. However, that at times can have a risk of backfiring, if DCF thinks that your child is in immediate danger. They can try to get the police […]

Under the law, DCF has to provide appropriate services to strengthen the families if the 51A is supported. This is the case whether the children are in your home or even placed out of the home; and services can include a wide variety of things; including counseling for you and your children; daycare; in-home services; […]

Again, having an attorney even in the very early stages, can really help the situation, but some of the things you might want to do if you are not going to be able to have an attorney is ask what the specific charges or allegations are; take notes; you want to stay on the topic […]

If it is an emergency, DCF can file a Care & Protection Petition to a Judge and the Judge would review it and it can allow DCF to obtain permission to take your children away from you without notifying you ahead of time. You may not be aware of this until a social worker comes […]

DCF cannot tell you the name(s) of the person(s) who reported you.  Sometimes it can be anonymous. It is supposed to give you as much details as possible about the allegations and sometimes people can make an assumption or figure out who most likely filed the report. Sometimes that person may be making a false […]

What happens is a social worker from DCF will come to your home. If it is a non-emergency investigation, you are entitled to have an attorney with you; or have someone else present to be there as a witness for you. The DCF social worker and investigator will discuss what the allegations in the report […]

DCF is not allowed to tell you the name of the person who reported you. Sometimes, the people that would do this will call anonymously. You are informed as much details as possible about the allegations. Sometimes the person who is reporting you will let you know and a lot of times you will be […]

In Massachusetts anyone can report an allegation to DCF for suspected child abuse or neglect. The information just has to lead DCF to suspect that the child is “at risk”. Basically, the difference between abuse is that abuse occurs when a child has been harmed by someone who is caring for the child and “neglect” […]

It is called a Kahill Disposition. What that means is due to a case in Commonwealth vs. Kahill in 2004; the Registry of Motor Vehicles have to honor the decision of the court that treats a second offense OUI as a first offense. If it occurs more than 10 years from the date of the first […]