Administrative Findings of Abuse and Neglect
If you need a child abuse and neglect lawyer for an administrative investigation in Colorado, I can help you understand your options.
If you have been contacted by CPS (known as the Colorado Department of Human Services) that you are under investigation for abuse or neglect of a child, you should contact an attorney right away. Administrative findings of abuse and neglect can have devastating personal and professional consequences. Personally, it can mean that you may no longer be allowed to coach your child’s soccer team, chaperone field trips, or volunteer at school. Professionally, it can mean the end of your career in nursing, childcare, or other fields. Findings of abuse and neglect are stored in Colorado’s central registry known as the Tracking, Reporting, and Analysis of Incidents, Laws and Systems (TRAILS for short).
If you are a parent accused of abuse or neglect, these investigations can also lead to Safety Plans limiting who can have access to your child and under what conditions. Additionally, these actions can lead to dependency and neglect cases in court.
If you are teacher, nurse, principal, or other professional working in a childcare setting, these investigations can lead to work suspensions, change in duties, or even termination. It can also affect your ability to find further employment in your field. Professionals should also know that they may not take protected records, like education or health care records, as this could be a violation of both the employer’s policies and the law. Your attorney will know the best way of going about retrieving this evidence through legal means.
Working With a Child Abuse and Neglect Lawyer
Be sure to document everything as the stress of these cases can affect your memory of dates and important events down the road. Limit what you say to other people as these statements can be misconstrued, used against you, or waive certain privileges you may have. Finally, you should find an attorney as soon as this process starts to understand your rights, and how to appeal these findings.
