When the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP or the “Division”) knocks on your door, it can be an overwhelming experience. If you find yourself in such a situation, there has most likely been a child abuse or neglect referral made against you. When such a referral is made to the Division, a caseworker…
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Navigating Appeals for Substantiated Findings in DCPP Cases
People have rights under New Jersey Law The Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP or the “Division”), formerly known as the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), is New Jersey's child protective service agency. There may be situations where you disagree with a finding made by the Division upon the conclusion of its…
Read More »What Happens When DCPP Takes You to Family Court in New Jersey?
A lawyer who knows the Division and New Jersey courts can help Whether you’re being accused of child abuse or neglect, or involved in a child custody dispute where those allegations are in play, your case may end up in family court—and the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) is likely involved…
Read More »What to Do When DCPP Comes to Your Door
A surprise visit from DCPP doesn’t mean you’re powerless It’s the knock on the door that no parent ever wants to hear. A DCPP caseworker is there, demanding to be let in, inspect your home, talk to your children, and require assessments and services right away. They may even threaten to take your child away…
Read More »Top 8 Reasons Why New Jersey DCPP Is Called
If You’re Facing a DCPP Investigation, You Have Rights, But You Need To Move Fast To Protect Them New Jersey’s Department of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP), a division of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), is the state’s primary child protection and child welfare agency, responsible for investigating reports of child abuse or…
Read More »Is Spanking Considered Child Abuse in New Jersey?
Understanding the Legal Line Between Discipline and Abuse Spanking as a form of discipline has long been a controversial topic among parents, educators, and child welfare advocates. While some argue that it is an effective way to correct behavior, others believe it can cause lasting harm. In New Jersey, spanking is not automatically considered child…
Read More »What Is a Substantiated Finding?
Substantiated findings are very important because they signify that the agency has determined that you have abused or neglected your child and that your conduct warrants your name being included on the Child Abuse Central Registry.
Read More »Williams Law Group Receives Opinion From New Jersey Supreme Court
On May 27th, 2020, the Supreme Court of New Jersey decided on the case S.C. v. New Jersey Department of Children and Families. In their decision, the Supreme Court provided clarity on several New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) procedures surrounding administrative findings of “Not Established”. The case, which was argued by Williams…
Read More »What Is the DCPP's Least Restrictive Setting Rule?
When the New Jersey Department of Children and Protection and Permanency must intervene with a family, it typically means that the family is not functioning in such a way as to ensure the best interest of the children is always being safeguarded. Although many people think of the DCPP as an agency whose purpose is…
Read More »What Is the DCPP's Family Reunification Program?
Parents and the DCPP may often be on the opposite sides of a case, disagreeing about whether the parents failed to live up to their parenting responsibilities and whether it was appropriate for the children to be removed from the home in the first place. What many do not realize, however, is that one of…
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