It can be overwhelming and frustrating to learn that you have been referred to Pennsylvania's ChildLine system for suspected child abuse or neglect in Carbon County. The destructive consequences of a ChildLine referral and investigation may include adverse impacts on your employment, volunteer activities, and child custody arrangements. To best respond to a referral and any subsequent investigation, you need to take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your reputation. You don't have to fight a child abuse or neglect accusation alone. The LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team is in your corner and ready to help.
The LLF Law Firm can work with you to protect your rights during an initial ChildLine investigation and develop strategies to minimize the long-term implications of a ChildLine referral. Call us at 888-535-3686 or submit a confidential online consultation form for legal help in Carbon County.
When a ChildLine referral and investigation leads to inclusion on the ChildLine registry, additional adverse outcomes may follow, including exclusion from some employment opportunities, limitations on volunteer activities, potential adjustments to child custody arrangements, and the threat of criminal prosecution. If you are targeted by a ChildLine referral, you can take decisive action and build a team to protect you, your loved ones, and your livelihood.
The LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team has years of experience helping the citizens of Carbon County strategically respond to and defend against ChildLine referrals and investigations. With the LLF Law Firm in your corner, you will have a team to fight for you and your rights throughout the ChildLine referral and investigation process.
What Is Pennsylvania's ChildLine System?
Pennsylvania's ChildLine system intends to protect children from child abuse and neglect through the operation of a 24-hour telephone hotline. The hotline accepts anonymous reports of child abuse or neglect. After ChildLine receives a report of a credible description of child abuse, an investigation into the report begins.
In Carbon County, the Department of Human Services, through its Office of Children and Youth, is responsible for ChildLine referrals arising from within Carbon County and those involving children who live in Carbon County. Additionally, Carbon County's Office of Children and Youth has its own phone number to collect reports of child abuse and neglect.
In 2022, there were 254 total reports of suspected child abuse made to the Carbon County Department of Human Services. After being reviewed, 22 reports of child abuse were substantiated.
What Are ChildLine Referrals and Investigations?
After ChildLine receives a report of child abuse or neglect, the accusation is referred to the appropriate county's Child, Youth, and Family Services department within 24 hours. Each county in Pennsylvania has a Child, Youth, and Family Service department with its own process for handling ChildLine referrals. In general, Carbon County staff receive and review the ChildLine referral to determine whether the reported behavior constitutes child abuse. If county staff conclude that the report involves child abuse, they begin an investigation. Carbon County has 60 days to complete its investigation.
Multi-agency teams, which include law enforcement and social service organizations, often collaborate on child abuse and neglect investigations. During an investigation, the investigators may collect evidence and conduct interviews with anyone who may know about the incident, including the accused abuser and their friends, family members, employers, co-workers, and neighbors.
Additionally, ChildLine staff may contact the relevant state licensing board if the target of the investigation has a professional license issued by the state. In response, the professional licensing board may determine if any action should be taken against the target's professional license.
What Are the Consequences of a ChildLine Investigation?
When a ChildLine investigation ends with the decision that child abuse or neglect was “indicated” or “founded,” the accused individual's name is placed on the ChildLine registry. Having your name added to the registry, sometimes called getting “ChildLined,” can have significant adverse consequences.
Although the general public cannot access the ChildLine registry, some employers have access to the registry and may make hiring and firing decisions based on the list.
A person whose name is added to the ChildLine registry may face difficulties in obtaining and maintaining employment, limitations on volunteer activities, and efforts to amend child custody arrangements. Lastly, once an individual's name is included in the ChildLine registry, it is extremely difficult to have their name removed.
Who Can Make a ChildLine Report?
Pennsylvania and Carbon County encourage anyone who reasonably suspects that a child is the victim of abuse or neglect to make a report, in good faith, to ChildLine.
Making an anonymous report to ChildLine is easy, which may account for the difference between the volume of calls received and the lower number of substantiated reports of child abuse and neglect. Sometimes false accusations arise during emotionally charged and desperate family situations such as divorce and custody battles. Parents might make false reports of abuse and neglect against a current or former spouse, partner, or co-parent to attempt to obtain more favorable outcomes. Furthermore, even good faith efforts to identify false accusations have failed to identify and dismiss all false reports of child abuse or neglect.
While anyone may make a ChildLine report, Pennsylvania requires that some people in close contact with children report suspected child abuse and neglect to ChildLine. A mandated reporter is an individual in close contact with children who is required by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect to the ChildLine system. In Pennsylvania, mandated reporters include healthcare workers, teachers, counselors, daycare workers, police officers, social workers, and religious officials. Mandated reporters make their ChildLine reports by phone or through an online submission system. Although mandated reporters must leave their names and contact information when making a ChildLine report, their identities are confidential.
Pennsylvania law protects mandated reporters from legal liability for making a ChildLine report in most instances. Furthermore, in Pennsylvania, there is a general presumption that reports of child abuse and neglect are made in good faith.
A permissive reporter is an individual who is not legally required to report suspected child abuse or neglect but chooses to make a report to the ChildLine system. Permissive reporters may make anonymous ChildLine reports.
Each year, many people are falsely accused of child abuse in Pennsylvania. Even well-intended reporters can make mistakes. Unsubstantiated accusations of child abuse or neglect can wreak havoc in your life. The Criminal Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm can help you vigorously defend yourself and protect your rights after a ChildLine report of abuse is made against you in Carbon County.
What Are the Possible Outcomes of a ChildLine Referral and Investigation?
For an individual accused of child abuse or neglect, the consequences of a ChildLine investigation can be devastating to both their personal and professional lives. At the end of their investigation, ChildLine investigators will categorize the child abuse accusation as “unfounded,” “indicated,” or “founded.” The decision on how to categorize the ChildLine report determines the severity of the outcome of the investigation.
A report is determined to be “unfounded” if the investigators uncovered no evidence of child abuse. When a report is unfounded, the target's name is not added to the ChildLine registry.
The report is classified as “indicated” if the investigators decide that there is substantial evidence of child abuse. When a report of child abuse is indicated, the target's name is added to the ChildLine registry.
The report is determined to be “founded” if investigators conclude that the allegations of abuse or neglect are legitimate. A report is often categorized as founded after a hearing in which a judicial determination concluded that abuse or neglect has occurred. When a report is classified as founded, the accused's name is added to the Childline registry.
A ChildLine investigation isn't a criminal investigation. However, criminal investigations may occur concurrently with or following a ChildLine investigation. Furthermore, even when a ChildLine investigation concludes that a report of child abuse or neglect was indicated or founded, a criminal investigation or criminal charges may still follow.
Importantly, law enforcement agencies may launch a criminal investigation or file criminal charges even when a ChildLine investigation concludes that a report of child abuse or neglect was unfounded.
The inclusion of your name on the ChildLine registry can be devastating for your personal and professional life, and the long-term consequences of a ChildLine referral and investigation are not always immediately clear. When you work with the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team, you have a partner and counsel to help prepare you for each step of the referral and investigatory process, to ensure your rights are defended, and to protect you, your life, your reputation, and your loved ones during such a difficult period.
The LLF Law Firm's experienced Criminal Defense Team can collaborate with you to review your case and defend your rights during an investigation.
What Are Your Rights During a ChildLine Investigation?
You have rights when someone makes a ChildLine report against you. The LLF Law Firm can help ensure your rights are honored.
Any person subject to a ChildLine investigation has the right to be notified that a report of child abuse or neglect was made against them. Furthermore, they have the right to an attorney and to have their attorney present during any or all interviews or meetings with ChildLine investigators or other county officials or investigators. Additionally, they have the right to seek an amendment or expungement of the county's decision.
After a ChildLine investigation concludes, Carbon County must notify the subject of the investigation of the results of the ChildLine investigation, the status of the child abuse report, and the effect the report may have on future job and career opportunities. The individual targeted by the investigation must receive notice that their name, a description of the abuse, and the outcome will be entered into the ChildLine database if the report was determined that child abuse or neglect was indicated or founded. Furthermore, Carbon County must inform the target of the investigation of their right to request an amendment or expungement of the report and have their name removed from the ChildLine registry, their right to file an appeal within nine days, and their right to a hearing on the merits on appeal. On appeal, Carbon County must prove its case by substantial evidence.
Sometimes, an individual discovers that their name has been added to the ChildLine registry without due process. There are some incidents of state and county investigators completing an investigation without notifying the accused of the referral and without providing any opportunity to rebut or respond to the report.
If you are accused of child abuse or neglect through ChildLine, the stakes for you and your loved ones are incredibly high. With the LLF Law Firm's Criminal Defense Team at your side, you can be prepared to challenge the allegations and protect your rights.
The LLF Law Firm Can Help You if You've Been Referred to ChildLine in Carbon County
If you're facing a ChildLine referral and navigating the ChildLine system in Carbon County, you need the LLF Law Firm and our experienced Criminal Defense Team in your corner.
ChildLine investigations can be emotionally exhausting and intrusive, with significant legal and non-legal consequences. An accusation of child abuse can destroy your relationships, reputation, and career. Even if you are cleared of any wrongdoing, the aftermath of a ChildLine investigation can be difficult and destructive. You do not need to navigate these challenges alone. Together, we can protect your rights, your future, and your loved ones.
The LLF Law Firm has years of experience successfully representing Carbon County residents facing ChildLine referrals, investigations, and allegations of abuse and neglect. The knowledgeable Criminal Defense Team in your corner will help you fight for your rights and protect your short- and long-term interests.
To take action and protect yourself during a ChildLine referral and investigation, contact the LLF Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or submit a confidential online consultation form.
