Can DCF Social Workers in MA be Trusted?

Can DCF Social Workers in MA be Trusted? A Good Lawyer is Never Doubted

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (MA DCF) investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect. When a DCF social worker in MA contacts you by phone, letter, or shows up at your door unannounced, it probably means they started an investigation against you. Parents may have trouble deciding who they should trust during this time, especially when they have so much to lose. A good lawyer and social worker will work with you to achieve your goals. Trust is the foundation of a successful relationship, so having that with your lawyer gives you a better chance of closing your case. But should you always trust your MA DCF social worker?

What Do Good Lawyers and MA DCF Social Workers Look Like?

DCF social workers all have a general goal to protect children from abuse. There will be those which genuinely want to protect children and understand a family’s situation before they deem the parents unfit and abusive. But there are other DCF social workers who don’t care to understand the whole situation. They end up tearing families apart without further investigation.

Similarly, there’re lawyers who want to support you and lawyers who only want to collect a check. Knowing how to work around your unfavorable situations will point you in the right direction. Bad DCF social workers do not have your best interests at heart, instead they intimidate you into exposing your weaknesses, so they can take advantage of it.

A great lawyer, however, wouldn’t make you doubt their intentions because they take extra measures to earn your trust. Earning their client’s trust comes as taking action to get the client closer to their goals. The lawyer will speak to the department supervisor, program manager, clinical manager, the department director, commissioner, the governor, go to any lengths for their client to prove their innocence in order to keep their children.

DCF’s usage of the police during home visits does more harm than good. Police officers aren’t properly doing their jobs when they’re being used by DCF to intimidate parents during home visits. When the parents are overwhelmed and scared, so are their children. Social workers claim that they’ve called the parents multiple times with no proof.

Should You Rely On Your MA DCF Social Worker for Legal Advice?

When a social worker from the MA Department of Children and Families ever tries to give you legal advice, it may not be in your favor to listen to them. You have a constitutional right to speak to an attorney when DCF gets involved. If a social worker tells you otherwise, this is incorrect information and a violation of your constitutional rights. When DCF begins a 51B investigation, it is important for you to know about your rights to legal counsel.

Thoroughly read the Parent Pamphlet that DCF hands you at the beginning of your investigation. It clearly states that you have the right to an attorney throughout your investigation. Trust the pamphlet over your DCF social worker. Do not be naïve about what DCF is capable of. Remember, as a parent you have rights during a DCF investigation. You have the right to appeal any decision that DCF makes, despite what a MA DCF social worker may claim.

Case Example

I once had a client, a very honest young woman, who told me that her MA DCF social worker told her that if she were to get a lawyer, DCF would take her children away. Now this woman had false allegations made against her. It was a very unfortunate situation. Thankfully, she knew that she had a right to an attorney. With my help, she was able to turn this case in her favor because the truth always comes out. This is the perfect example of how a bad DCF social worker could mislead you. To make sure this does not happen to you, you should know your rights. Thankfully, this particular woman knew her constitutional right to legal counsel. I was able to take this woman on as a client and this case turned out in her favor. 

What Does Your Situation Actually Need?

Your social worker should not have the upper hand when handling your case. Once you’re aware of what the procedures are during the investigation, as well as what your rights are, you will not be at your DCF social worker’s mercy. If investigation ends with DCF supporting the abuse or neglect allegations against you, the Department will assign a new social worker to your case for the DCF assessment. Afterwards, the social worker will make an action plan for the parents to follow. Parents can put in the effort to be aware of what’s going on and be able to respectfully state their opinions. The relationship between you and your lawyer should follow the same sentiment. According to your situation, you need the right lawyer and the right mindset to work with your social worker.

Is it Possible to Get a New DCF Social Worker?

It is possible for parents to get rid of their DCF social worker through the DCF grievance process. This may not be the best idea, however. Filing for grievance might actually backfire because DCF and the social worker assigned to your case might consider this action as uncooperative on the parent’s part. The consequences of filing for grievance and getting a new social worker for your MA DCF case could even be a setback for achieving your goals. You can understand your social worker to have a collaborative relationship if you put in the effort to do so.

What is a DCF Grievance?

A DCF grievance is a written complaint that contains a statement regarding an aggrieved decision, action, or conduct, the reason for the complaint, and copies of supporting documents. There is also an option to file a grievance online through the mass.gov website.

 

Kevin Seaver is a trusted Massachusetts DCF Lawyer Specialized in DCF since 1991.

You find yourself in this situation, it’s advisable to seek legal representation from a qualified attorney, like those at the Law Office of Kevin Seaver, who can advocate for your rights and guide you through the complex process of a DCF investigation.

Remember that the ultimate goal of DCF is to ensure the safety and well-being of children while supporting families in crisis.

Please note that this article does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between our law firm and the reader and is provided for informational purposes only. Information in this article does not apply to all readers.

Readers should not rely on this information as legal advice and should seek specific counsel from the attorney based on personal circumstances. Thank you.

Kevin Patrick Seaver is a Massachusetts DCF Defense Lawyer who represents parents against false child abuse allegations.

 

Massachusetts DCF Defense Lawyer Kevin Seaver has been successfully fighting false child abuse allegations since 1991.