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You are here: Families & Children > Juvenile Dependency (Abuse & Neglect) > Abuse & Neglect: Information for Parents
Click on a question below:
Why are they investigating?
Why was my child taken away?
Where is my child now?
Will I get my child back?
What about relatives?
What happens now?
Where can I get more information?
Why are they investigating?
Someone made a report about the safety of your child. The police or a social worker have to investigate. They have to decide if the court should get involved so your child will be safe and protected.
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Why was my child taken away?
The police officer or social worker decided your child needed to be in temporary foster care to be safe. This can be because your child:
- Wasn't well taken care of or watched over;
- Was neglected, abused, or molested; or
- Was left with someone who didn't take good care of them.
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Where is my child now?
Your child may be at a shelter or in a foster home.
The social worker will tell you more or give you a phone number to call to find out more. Call the social worker during the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Will I get my child back?
Maybe. The social worker for your case will find out about you, your house, and your child. He or she will do what they think is the best way to keep your child safe.
For now, your child can be sent to live:
- With the other legal parent (if you don't live together);
- With a relative; or
- In a foster home or shelter.
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What about relatives?
You must tell the social worker the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the other parent or relatives who can take care of your child. The social worker will get in touch with them to see if they can give your child a safe place to live.
This way, your child may not have to stay with a stranger.
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What happens now?
If the social worker thinks your child isn't safe, he or she will file papers (called a "petition") to ask the court to say your child is a "dependent of the court."
The social worker has 2 workdays after he or she takes your child to file a petition. If your child isn't taken away, the social worker has more time to file.
There will be a hearing at the courthouse. You will be told the date, time, and place of the first court hearing.
You MUST come to court for this hearing. The judge will make orders about the care, custody, and supervision of your child.
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Where can I get more information?
Talk to the social worker or child welfare agency. They can tell you more information about where your child is and how the courts work. Get the phone number from your county's Web site  . Or look in the "County Government" section of your phone book.
Get in touch with the superior court in your county. If you can't find the phone number or address for the juvenile court, call the court's main number.
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Last modified: 03/17/2008
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