Children Reportedly Went Missing During Supervised Visitation in Newark
Two children who reportedly went missing during a supervised visit with their father in Newark NJ were found safe in Boston, Massachusetts. The two kids were having a supervised visit with their dad at the New Jersey Superior Court, Family Part in the Wilentz Justice Complex located on Washington Street in Newark, New Jersey. According to authorities, a Division of Child Protection and Permanency (“DCP&P”) case manager was supervising the visit with the father, who is said to be homeless and have a history of drug addiction. During the visit, the case manager left the room. At that point, the father allegedly left the building with his five-year-old son and four-year-old daughter. Fortunately, after the Human Services Police led a search for the children, authorities located the father and children in Boston, MA.
When DCP&P becomes involved with families, sometimes a need arises to provide supervised visitation to one or both parents. This is especially likely to be true in cases in which the Division takes custody of children due to a parent’s inability to ensure their children’s safety or when a parent poses a risk of harm to the children. In fact, pursuant to New Jersey’s child abuse and neglect laws, specifically N.J.A.C. 10:122D-1.10(a), parental visitation may occur on a supervised basis if the Division or the Family Court finds a need for supervision; otherwise, visits shall be unsupervised.
According to N.J.A.C. 10:122D-1.10(c), some reasons to require supervised visitation include: facilitating interactions between the parent and child, modeling positive parenting behavior, mediating conflict between the parent and child, and providing protection of the child. When it comes to supervised visitation, family members, friends, third-party contracted agencies, or a DCP&P worker may provide supervision, depending upon the circumstances and appropriate background checks.
If DCP&P is involved with your family’s life in any capacity in New Jersey – whether it’s an investigation, providing services, or litigation – the DCP&P defense lawyers at the Tormey Law Firm can help you navigate the situation and provide invaluable support. Our DYFS defense team includes a former Deputy Attorney General who prosecuted Title 30 child welfare cases and Title 9 abuse and neglect cases in New Jersey Family Court and a former Assistant Prosecutor who prosecuted child endangerment matters in criminal court. The bottom line is that the DCP&P defense attorneys at the Tormey Law Firm are well-versed in the areas of child abuse and neglect law, as well as DYFS policy and protocol. No matter the level of DCP&P involvement with your family, the Tormey Law Firm is ready to help.
