Juvenile Dependency Law covers court cases involving child abuse or neglect allegations and the state’s intervention in a child’s care, including CPS investigations, foster care and placement decisions, guardianship, and family reunification services. It also addresses parents’ and children’s rights in dependency proceedings, visitation and case plans, and outcomes such as termination of parental rights and adoption.
Foster care is a temporary arrangement where children are placed with trained caregivers when they cannot safely remain at home. Child protective services may remove a child due to safety or neglect concerns and place them with foster parents while reunification efforts proceed. This article explains how foster care works, why removals happen, and what […]
A guardian ad litem (GAL) is a court-appointed person who represents the best interests of a child or legally incapacitated person in a case. The GAL investigates, interviews parties, and reports recommendations to the judge, often in custody or abuse matters. This article explains the GAL’s role, duties, and how the process works. A guardian […]
