A 10-month-old baby girl, Jennifer (not real name), tried to pull herself onto the sofa and fell to the ground. The parents went to pick her up and noticed her discomfort. Due to the discomfort, they rightfully took her to the doctor.
The doctor discovered that the child had a broken clavicle. This is a serious injury to an infant. Consequently, the pediatrician was required to submit a mandatory report to DCF citing an unknown injury.
DCF screened the case and conducted a 51B investigation. This investigation was done with the help of the pediatrician and the orthopedic. The parents had no previous DCF involvement, no police calls to the home, and no criminal record. The 51B investigation unsupported the allegations of child abuse. DCF closed the case against the parents. However, not all contacts to medical providers will help clarify an allegation.
Take Sophie (not her real name) for example. Sophie was a mother who had to frequently bring her child to the pediatrician for medical concerns. Sophie was taking proper and consistent action to address the child’s medical needs. Nevertheless, the school filed allegations of neglect against Sophie because of the child’s repeated absences.
When the investigator contacted the child’s pediatrician, the doctor offhandedly made a comment that Sophie had missed an appointment. In fact, Sophie had been in the process of rescheduling the appointment so that it wouldn’t impact the child’s schooling. The pediatrician, for their part, did not see this as particularly concerning. The investigator, on the other hand, disagreed.
The truth is, that medical providers can be your ally or your enemy during DCF investigations and assessments. Even well-intentioned comments like those made by Sophie’s medical provider can be misheard, misunderstood, or misconstrued. As such, you have to be very careful when allowing DCF to contact your medical providers, even if you think there is nothing they could say that could hurt you. DISCLAIMER
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.
