Trenton NJ Mother Gets Jail Time for Child Abuse
Haydee Santana, a 23-year-old mother from Trenton NJ, was recently sentenced to 180 days in jail and five years of probation as a result child abuse.
In March 2015, Santana’s five-year-old daughter told school officials about being left home alone and living in a house strewn with feces and trash. Accordingly, police responded to the home and found that Santana’s children were home alone, with no electricity or gas at the residence. But the larger problem was that Santana’s children were malnourished and in need of medical care. Moreover, Santana’s three-year-old twins had been locked in the bathroom. Subsequently, Santana was arrested and charged with child endangerment. Additionally, the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (“DCP&P”), formerly known as the Division of Youth and Family Services (“DYFS”), took custody of the children.
During Santana’s sentencing in the criminal matter, Assistant Prosecutor Michael Mennuti said that members of DCP&P had taken Santana’s children away on multiple occasions and that each time, Santana received assistance to address her parenting deficits. Santana’s attorney, Kathleen Redpath-Perez, said that her client’s issues were due to a lack of education and that DCP&P had not provided Santana with adequate assistance. Be that as it may, if DCP&P is involved in your life, one of the most important steps to getting DYFS out of your life is to take initiative and get help with whatever problems you may be facing. For example, if you are overwhelmed with caring for your children, there are family success centers throughout New Jersey that provide access to information on child, maternal, and family health services, including linkage to publicly funded health insurance programs and referrals to local health care services; economic self-sufficiency/employment-related services/income security services; life skills training; parent education; and parent-child activities. In fact, the Department of Children and Families maintains a list of every family success center in New Jersey.
Another important step to getting DCP&P out of your family’s life is to consult with an experienced DCP&P defense attorney at the Tormey Law Firm who is familiar with DYFS investigations, the types of court cases that DCP&P can file in Superior Court, and appeals of substantiated findings of child abuse or neglect. The bottom line is that, sometimes, the only way to get help is to ask for it.
If DCP&P received a referral regarding your family and you are being investigated due to an allegation of child abuse or child neglect, or if DCP&P has already taken you to court, don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. Contact the DYFS defense team at the Tormey Law Firm today.
