The purpose of the Division of Youth and Family Services (also referred to as DYFS or DCP&P), is to protect children who have been put in dangerous situations. DYFS aims to take children out of bad situations in their own homes but this frequently results in the children entering the foster care system. Sometimes, a foster home isn’t much better than the house the child was just taken out of and are often sources of neglect. As a result, the Division of Youth and Family Services often faces lawsuits.
When an individual believes that the child’s foster family is neglecting or abusing the child, they may wonder what legal options are available. Due to litigation, the Division of Youth and Family Services has had to pay millions of dollars in damages to children who have suffered:
- physical abuse
- emotional abuse
- sexual abuse
- malnourishment
- neglect
- dangerous living conditions
- verbal abuse
In order to successfully bring a lawsuit against DYFS, the party must show that there was neglect or abuse and that DYFS was notified of it but did not adequately investigate the matter. In other cases, DYFS may not have investigated the foster parents thoroughly enough and approved them when they should not have been approved. If you have questions about DYFS, contact our firm today.
Paris P. Eliades Law Firm, LLC is a divorce and family law firm serving clients in Sussex, Morris, and  Passaic County and throughout New Jersey with compassionate, quality legal services. Contact our office today for a free initial consultation.
