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 to drive a wedge in families, the real mission of the agency is to protect...

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 the main goals of the DCPP is to help families stay together or at the...

Any parent will tell you that parenting is the most difficult job out there.  Every child is different, and each child presents unique personality traits, has different educational abilities, and may have special physical or emotional requirements.  In short, there is no “one size fits all” parenting strategy.  Although parents are usually doing their best, there are times that the New Jersey Department of Children Protection and Permanency will not...

Very few things will strike fear in the heart of a parent faster than the thought of being forcibly separated from their children.  Parents work hard to provide for their children and make sure that they are happy, healthy, and in a stable environment.  The New Jersey Department of Children Protection and Permanency is similarly tasked with making sure that children in the state of New Jersey are safe and...

Numerous studies have shown that parents with substance abuse problems are more likely to abuse or neglect their children than parents without substance abuse issues. Based on this information, it’s not surprising that many reports of child abuse and neglect submitted to the Department of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) contain allegations of substance abuse. Part of the investigation into these allegations involves asking the parents of the alleged victim...