Blog

Children in the Crisis Children are often the unrecognized victims of the opioid crisis in America. From those left orphaned by parents who overdose to those exposed to opioid use in the womb, the opioid crisis overwhelmingly impacts children. And child maltreatment is just one type of collateral damage from the crisis. Coupled with the…

Child Maltreatment Fatalities in the Media Reports of child maltreatment fatalities are on the rise as media coverage has indicated. But the increase in fatalities is due—in large part—to the limitations of state child welfare systems. Most notably, child maltreatment fatalities have increased predominately in Indiana and Texas. These are both states with struggling child…

Harmful Caregiving In certain situations, a caregiver may harm a child through caregiving practices. Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (i.e. factitious disorder imposed on another) is an interesting example of harmful caregiving. With Munchausen Syndrome, a parent or caregiver exaggerates, fabricates, or causes a medical condition like an illness or injury in a child or someone…

Commonalities in Cases Every family is unique. Likewise, every child abuse case involves different factors. But there are three crucial elements found in many child abuse cases. Understanding those common elements can help you navigate your child abuse case, so let’s take a look. Child’s Best Interests While reading through your case documents, you might…

Options for Concerned Grandparents If you are a grandparent of a child who you believe is at risk of abuse, there are steps you can take to secure his or her safety. You can report child abuse anonymously. But if you want to play a more active role in protecting your grandchild, you should know…

When Your Child Abuse Case Is Closed You’ve dealt with CPS for months. Maybe you’ve agreed to a safety plan and even followed it word for word. Or maybe investigators came up with unfounded findings and said they would close your case. Whatever your history with CPS has been, you most likely want to take…

What Is Shaken Baby Syndrome? Shaken baby syndrome is a type of abusive head trauma, which is a head injury caused by child abuse. Shaken baby syndrome is a leading cause of child abuse fatalities across all age groups. Unfortunately, most of these fatalities occur in children under the age of one, as they are…

A Quick Response Once child abuse is reported, DCPP (formerly DYFS), New Jersey’s CPS agency, is required to initiate an investigation. That investigation may start with a call or an unannounced visit to the child’s house. Caseworkers must begin the investigation by attempting to contact the victim within 24 hours of the referral. In cases…

Finding the Right New Jersey Child Abuse Attorney for You Many parents find themselves in need of legal guidance when facing allegations of child abuse or neglect. Often, the sooner you involve an attorney, the more options you will have. But before hiring a New Jersey child abuse attorney, you should feel out their experience…

Suspect Your Child Was Abused? Many figures in a child’s life can be perpetrators of abuse. If you suspect someone in your child’s life abused him or her, how you respond will have a significant impact on how your child can cope and heal from such a traumatic experience. To help you navigate this emotionally…