Most parents don’t experience involvement with the court system while raising their children; sometimes cases arise where the state feels the need to step in. This often occurs in abuse or neglect matters, and it can also occur in a Child in Need of Care case where the court decides if and how the state will become involved to protect a child.
Interested parties, which include persons who are not the parents of the child in need of care, may participate in the proceedings. Any interested party to the case has the right to hire a lawyer to represent them in the case. The hearings and procedures may be confusing, and the timeline may be drawn out and intense. However, the following are helpful, need-to-know, and explanatory terms regarding a Child in Need of Care case so you can properly prepare yourself and understand the process.
Child in Need of Care Case Procedures
A Child in Need of Care case begins with someone, usually the county or district attorney, filing a petition that says the court needs to intervene on behalf of this child and its well-being. At the outset, all interested parties are required to be notified, either in court or by mail, about involvement and dates for hearings and other proceedings. All interested parties are also able to participate throughout the process by providing evidence and testimony at hearings and other instances, although in some situations the court decides that it is not in the child