- When concerns are raised about a family’s ability to care for a child, the law allows the Children and Family Services to apply to court for an order to remove the child from the family. The court may grant Orders like:
- Apprehension Order which allows the child to be taken from the custody of his or her guardian.
- Supervision Order which allows the child to continue to reside with the guardian under supervision by the social services.
- Temporary Guardianship Order which allows the child to be temporarily taken away from the guardian. The director of Children and Family Services becomes a joint guardian of the child.
- Permanent Guardianship Order which allows the child to be permanently taken from the guardian when the possibility of returning the child to the guardian is unlikely.
- Secure Services Order which allows the child to be confined in a secure services facility for a period of not more than 5 days.
These Orders have serious consequences. Children may be placed in care where they will live with a family member, or they may be placed in foster care where they will live with people with whom they had no prior relationship. Child protection cases can move quickly and can be very complicated.
Parents often require legal assistance to regain relationships with their children. We have the knowledge and legal skills to handle the complicated issues that may arise in child welfare cases. We are sensitive to our client’s situation and will assist our client to prepare and file the necessary documents, and attend court in order to return the apprehended child to the family.