by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa DHS and Illinois DCFS workers are often in a hurry to speak with a person who is being investigated for child abuse or neglect. There is a reason for that rush, and it is not something that benefits justice or the person who is under investigation.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Foster parents are often the subject of child abuse investigations by DHS (in Iowa) or DCFS (in Illinois). Properly handing such an investigation is especially important.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Under Iowa law, for a person to be accused of being a perpetrator of child abuse must be a person responsible for the care of a child. A person responsible for the care of a child is defined in Iowa Code 232.68 as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa DHS investigates situations where a person is accused of allowing a registered sex offender to have certain access to a child:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear An accusation of physical abuse is a common reason that Iowa DHS will become involved with a family. Iowa DHS defines physical abuse as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In situations where Illinois DCFS has become involved, there may be an allegation that a child has been subjected to a Substantial Risk of Physical Injury / Environment Injurious to Health and Welfare. That allegation in Illinois (DCFS Allegation #60) is defined as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In Iowa, the Department of Human Services (DHS) investigates child abuse allegations based upon Mental Injury. Mental Injury is defined by Iowa DHS as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In the state of Iowa, the Department of Human Services (DHS) investigates cases where a parent or other caregiver is alleged to have committed Denial of Critical Care of a child. Iowa DHS defines Denial of Critical Care as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The Department of Human Services in Iowa handles both the licensing of daycare operators and child abuse/neglect investigations in Iowa. When a person who operates a daycare is accused of child abuse or child neglect in Iowa, they face both the standard concerns anyone would face, as well as concerns about their livelihood and ability to continue operating a daycare.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The crime of Child Abandonment in Illinois is defined by 720 ILCS 5/12C-10 as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The Illinois crime of Endangering the Life or Health of a Child is defined in 720 ILCS 5/12C-5 as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear When a DHS (in Iowa) or DCFS (in Illinois) become involved in a person’s life due to child abuse or neglect allegations, they often do so by making an unannounced visit and requesting that a person speak with them. How that conversation is handled can have a significant impact upon the rest of the case.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The crimes commonly called “child abuse” or “child neglect” in Iowa are formally called “child endangerment. In Iowa, the crime of Child Endangerment is defined
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In Illinois, the Department of Children and Family Services is the state agency that handles the investigation of child abuse and child neglect accusations. In situations where the DCFS worker assigned to the case believes that child abuse or neglect has occurred, a “founded” report will be produced. In some cases, such a founded report will result in a person being added to Illinois’ child abuse database, called the State Central Register, which can have significant negative
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In Iowa, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is responsible for investigating child abuse and neglect allegations. Those who are found by Iowa DHS to have abused or neglected a child
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In cases where a child’s safety or well-being (physical or emotional) would be endangered by regular visitation with a parent, the courts in Iowa and Illinois have the authority to order that visitation be supervised by a
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear After the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) becomes involved with a family due to an abuse or neglect accusation, a Family Team Meeting is often scheduled rather quickly. Handling that meeting properly can have lasting effects upon the situation, going so far as to influence the outcome of DHS reports, juvenile court decisions, and criminal charges. For that reason, it is prudent to consult with an attorney prior to
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Each state has its own child protective services agency. In Illinois, that agency is called the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS). In Iowa, it goes by the name Department of Human Services (DHS). A person who finds themselves facing a DHS or DCFS investigation, no matter how baseless that investigation may be, is wise to promptly seek an attorney and avoid saying or doing anything until that attorney can review the situation and provide