When interacting with the Department of Child and Family Services, here are some things to keep in mind:
Create a plan. Getting DCFS involved can be avoided if there is a plan in place. If someone you know has been arrested, talk to them about their plans for their children if they are not able to come home right away.
Lend your support. If you know someone whose child is in the DCFS system, ask if you can write a letter to the court on their behalf or consider becoming a visit monitor.
Be mindful. Do not call DCFS on someone unless you are absolutely certain that a child is in danger. Don’t assume a child is being abused just because he or she has a bruise.
Be vigilant. When DCFS wants to conduct a search, confirm that they have a warrant. However, only do this, if you feel safe to do so.
Educate yourself on the dependency court system, using the resources on this website, and consider writing to your representatives to ask them to create legislation to fix the system.
Don’t assume that people who are going through dependency court are bad parents. Children can end up in the foster care system for a variety of reasons not directly related to bad parenting.