Division of Youth and Family Services
The Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) is New Jersey's child protection agency. DYFS typically gets involved when allegations of abuse and neglect are made against a parent.
The report may be from a teacher, doctor, school, nurse, hospital or other "mandatory reporter." Allegations may involve:
- Neglect, putting the child at risk of imminent harm
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Abandonment
- Emotional abuse/Cruelty to the child
- Failure to protect the child's best interests
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Shaken baby syndrome
Though the allegations relate to only one child, DYFS can still remove ALL children from your home. DYFS can alternately demand that conditions in your home be improved. Specific assessments and interventions can be Court ordered. You could, in severe cases, be restricted to supervised visitation.
We can help you in your quest to regain custody of your children or to challenge a finding of neglect or abuse made against you by DYFS and prevent the termination of your parental rights. We can also help you to refute allegations of abuse or neglect that have not yet been proven or found to be true by the Court. If there is a finding by the Court that there was an act of abuse or neglect, your name will be (by Law) placed in the Central Registry of those found to have committed abuse or neglect. If the Court drops the allegations, that is if the Court makes a finding that DYFS did not prove its case, then the matter is dismissed and your name is not placed in that Registry. At times it is worthwhile to fight the allegations, while in other instances, it is worthwhile to "stipulate" that an act of abuse or neglect occurred, thereby sparing you a trial and a Court finding. We can explain this further and make appropriate recommendations after learning about the details of your case from you and from conferring with the DYFS Deputy Attorney General.
Attorney Jonathan Gordon is a former New Jersey Deputy Attorney General who once represented DYFS as their attorney in family court. He has a good understanding of the way they and the Courts handle DYFS cases and can use this information to benefit his clients.
Learn more about the representation an experienced lawyer can offer by contacting us online or by calling 201-546-5772.
