Have you ever had to discipline or correct your child in a public space? You may be surprised to know that anyone who witnessed the situation can contact the Pennsylvania ChildLine to report you for child abuse. Once that call is made, Snyder County Children and Youth Services (SCCYS) is legally obligated to investigate the allegation. SCCYS has the authority to take your children away and refer you for criminal prosecution.
Are you being investigated by SCCYS for an act of child abuse or neglect that was reported to ChildLine? Theoretically, ChildLine protects children's welfare by allowing people who believe they have witnessed child abuse to report the incident anonymously. However, that also means a well-meaning person who witnesses you during a difficult moment can jeopardize your custodial rights. Call the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team at 888-535-3686 or contact us confidentially today.
Our attorneys are passionate about defending parental rights, and we have years of experience helping parents navigate the investigative process after a ChildLine referral. The results of an adverse ChildLine investigation ruling could negatively affect your life for years to come. Not only could you lose your children, but you could also be put into a statewide child abuse registry. That's why the quality of your legal defense is so important.
How Does Pennsylvania's ChildLine System Work?
Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services recognizes that child abuse and neglect are crimes that often hide in plain sight. However, people who witness it may not always be sure where to report it or whether what they saw was abuse. That's why the Department of Human Services established the ChildLine, which is a 24-hour, toll-free number anyone can call to anonymously report what they think may be child abuse or neglect.
Contacting ChildLine to report suspected abuse is sometimes referred to as making a ChildLine referral or simply “ChildLining.” Typically, the child welfare department that has jurisdiction in the County where the alleged abuse took place investigates ChildLine referrals, but referrals can also be investigated as crimes if the allegations are severe enough.
The ChildLine Registry
Your parental and custodial rights are in danger whenever you are under a ChildLine referral investigation. However, the potential effects of a ChildLine investigation don't stop there. If the allegations against you are determined as “founded” or that a preponderance of uncovered evidence “indicated” you committed child abuse, your name will be put into the ChildLine registry.
Appearing in this registry could negatively affect your future parental rights and employment prospects. Although it's not a public database, employers in certain fields can check the ChildLine referral database. Your presence in this database could motivate a prospective employer to deny your job application.
Making matters worse, many people have no idea that such a registry exists until after they've been put on it. It can also be difficult to get off the ChildLine registry once your name is uploaded to it. These are all reasons to take ChildLine referrals seriously and contact the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team immediately after finding out you are under investigation.
How Do ChildLine Investigations Work?
Although the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services established ChildLine, they are not responsible for investigating ChildLine referrals. Investigations are usually handled by the agency responsible for child welfare in the County where the alleged abuse took place. Once the ChildLine referral is made, it will be assigned to a caseworker who will review the allegation and determine whether it merits further investigation.
If the caseworker believes abuse may have taken place, they will begin a formal investigation, which must be completed within 60 days. During this investigation, the caseworker is free to interview anyone they reasonably believe could shed light on the allegations. That list includes, but is not limited to, the following people:
- You
- Your neighbors
- Your child's teachers
- Your current or former spouse or significant other
- Your children
- Your children's friends
- Your co-workers
There is another important distinction to understand when you're under a ChildLine referral investigation. Although the investigation may not start as a criminal matter, it could end up as one. ChildLine operators may refer serious allegations (e.g., physical or sexual abuse) to law enforcement for further investigation.
Many county law enforcement agencies also have special victims units that work directly with child welfare agencies. This working relationship means that ChildLine investigations can lead to criminal charges.
Additional Risk for Licensed Professionals
It's always unpleasant to be under a ChildLine referral investigation, but the situation is even more serious for licensed professionals. The ChildLine or county representative investigating your case has the authority to contact your licensing agency and alert them to the situation.
That means your freedom and career could be on the line along with your custodial rights in a Childline Referral Investigation. When the stakes are this high, it makes sense to begin protecting yourself as early as possible in the investigative process. Don't hesitate to contact the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team after being ChildLined.
ChildLine Referrals in Snyder County
Snyder County Children and Youth Services (SCCYS) investigate ChildLine referrals made in Snyder County. However, it's also important to note that SCCYS has its own referral system that county residents can contact directly instead of making a ChildLine referral. In either case, SCCYS will try to screen out erroneous or inaccurate reports, but this process is not foolproof.
There is no shortage of offenses that can result in a ChildLine referral. According to the SCCYS' website, some of the most common types of abuse referred to by ChildLine include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Inadequate supervision
- Inappropriate punishment
- Poor home conditions, which pose health and/or safety hazards to the child
- Truancy
- Parent/child conflict
- Inadequate medical care
- Drug/alcohol abuse of the child's parent/caregiver, which poses a direct threat of harm to the child
Many of the listed causes are subject to interpretation by whoever makes the ChildLine referral. It's not uncommon for cultural differences or simple misunderstandings in emotionally charged moments to result in ChildLine referrals. However, your parental rights will still be in jeopardy. That's why you can't simply assume that the “truth will come out” in a ChildLine referral investigation. Don't hesitate to defend your rights or delay contacting the LLF Law Firm.
Anyone Can Report You to the ChildLine
It's important to remember that ChildLine was set up to protect children's welfare, not the rights of parents or guardians. That's why ChildLine allows people to make referrals anonymously. ChildLine encourages any Pennsylvania resident or Snyder County citizen to report suspected incidents of child abuse or neglect.
Citizens who contact SCCYS or ChildLine with abuse referrals are known as “permissive reporters.” Pennsylvania Law permits them to report abuse anonymously by contacting SCCYS or ChildLine. That means anyone can contact ChildLine, and once they do, SCCYS investigators are more likely to err on the side of caution.
What Are Mandated Reporters?
Although permissive reporters have the authority to make ChildLine referrals, they are not required to do so. However, Pennsylvania law does have what is known as a “Mandated Reporter” law. A mandated reporter is legally required to make ChildLine referrals anytime they witness what they reasonably believe to be child abuse or neglect. Typically, mandated reporters are people involved in public service or who work with children.
Examples of mandated reporters include doctors, schoolteachers, police officers, mental health professionals, social workers, and even religious officials. Another difference between mandated reporters and permissive reporters is that mandated reporters are not allowed to make ChildLine referrals anonymously. However, Pennsylvania state law keeps their names confidential and shields them from legal liability.
That means a mandated reporter can make a ChildLine referral but face no legal consequences if the SCCYS investigation doesn't reveal that abuse took place. The only exception to this is if a mandated reporter knowingly makes a false report with malicious intent. With that said, the default position of the SCCYS is that mandated reporters act in good faith when they make ChildLine referrals.
Mandated Reporters Make Mistakes
The fact that mandated reporters are often public servants who dedicate their lives to helping others does not make them infallible. Mandated reporters and public servants can make good-faith mistakes, too, but it will still be up to you to defend yourself. Unfortunately, the deck is tilted towards protecting your child's well-being in a ChildLine referral investigation.
That means a good-faith allegation by a mandated reporter can lead to you losing your custody rights and reputation. Don't make the mistake of assuming that everything will work out for the best. Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen. Contact the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team immediately after discovering you've been ChildLined. The sooner we can begin fighting for you, the better our chances of achieving a positive outcome.
What Happens if a ChildLine Referral Investigation Finds You've Committed Child Abuse
SCCYS ChildLine referral investigations have three potential results. They are unfounded, indicated, and founded. A final ruling of “unfounded” is the best possible result for you and won't result in any further action. However, a final ruling of “indicated” or “founded” means the SCCYS believes abuse has taken place. A final ruling of “indicated” may not result in criminal charges, but the investigator will submit your name to the ChildLine Registry.
A ruling of “founded” means a jury or judge has found you guilty of child abuse, and your name will be submitted to the ChildLine Registry. The most likely result here is you losing custody of your children but also having severe restrictions placed on your future employment prospects. Your name in the ChildLine Registry will prevent you from holding most professional licenses or pursuing employment that involves contact with children.
What to Do If You Are Under a ChildLine Referral Investigation
You might be surprised to know that a ChildLine referral can result in you being put in the ChildLine Registry without the due process required by criminal investigations. However, you do have the following rights if you're under a ChildLine Investigation:
- The right to be notified that someone has made a ChildLine referral for abuse or neglect against you
- The right to have an attorney
- The right to petition for Snyder County to amend or expunge their initial ruling
- The right to have an attorney present for any interactions with county officials, including but not limited to formal interviews and meetings
Snyder County is legally obligated to advise you of these rights. The LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team can defend those rights for you. It's important to have an advocate fighting for you because child abuse is such an emotionally charged topic that even well-meaning SCCYS employees and investigators can infringe on your rights in their zeal to protect the County's children.
Your Rights After a ChildLine Referral Investigation
Snyder County has legal obligations after the conclusion of a ChildLine referral investigation. They must do the following:
- Inform you of the investigation's results and the existence (if any) of any child abuse report
- Advise you of your right to request that the County amend or expunge its adverse ruling
- Advise you of your right to formally request the removal of your name from the ChildLine Registry
- Advise you of the potential impact their ruling may have on your post-investigation employment prospects or career opportunities.
Snyder County must always advise you of your right to file an appeal within 90 days of their initial ruling. They must also inform you of your rights to a hearing on the merits of the case during the appeal process. At this hearing, the County will be required to prove its case via the weight of its evidence against you.
Why Have the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team Fight for You During a ChildLine Investigation
Being accused of child abuse or neglect is one of those situations where you had a life before the accusation and a life after the investigation. The course of your life after a Snyder County ChildLine referral will hinge heavily on the results of that investigation. That underscores why it's so important to have an experienced group of tough-minded attorneys who are willing to defend your rights.
The LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense team checks all those boxes. We understand that we're fighting for your future as a parent and a professional in every ChildLine referral investigation case. We will fight for your rights at every stage of the investigation. More importantly, we will leave no stone unturned in searching for evidence that supports your case or helps refute the allegation(s) against you.
Our priority is your well-being as a client and helping to generate the best possible outcome in any ChildLine investigation. We understand the mental toll ChildLine investigations take on our clients, and we pride ourselves on being there when you need us.
Don't trust your reputation and future to just any attorney. We have the experience, the resources, and the resolve to fight ChildLine referral cases and win. Call the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team at 888-535-3686 or complete our confidential online consultation form today.
