Child Abuse

Re PA Code 23-6303 - Reporting of Child Abuse - May a supervisor tell you that you are not allowed to report a case of suspected physical abuse? Instead the supervisor is required to follow-up with the family and discuss the situation before determining if abuse has happened and then report it.

What is the minimum age a child can be left alone to get themselves up and off to school?

Can I take my granddaughter, age five home? She has lived with me for over four years, since July 30th, 2006, and I entered a notarized custody agreement with my daughter Sept. 11, 2006. My granddaughter was snatched by her non custodial mother and her boyfriend in August, 2010, against my will. They also told me if I wanted to see her, I would have to come to Georgia, which I did, and lived with my granddaughter, daughter and boyfriend that snatched my granddaughter, and his family in a very remote part of Georgia. My phone has been broken, then the family dismantled my car. I am now kicked out of this place tomorrow, I have secured a home to live in again, but I have been told by my daughter and her boyfriend I can't take my granddaughter. I signed, as did my daughter, a full guardianship agreement with my daughter's parental rights terminated, only to be given back if CPS, a lawyer, and a third party agrees on September 11, 2006, in Harris County, Texas, and had it notarized. My granddaughter was 1 at the time, and my daughter had abandoned her for 3 months in a drug house in Houston with the alleged father.When I got her, she had a 105 degree fever, sepsis, diaper rash, malnutrition. CPS gave me custody of her. My daughter showed no interest in her till this boyfriend, whom she is pregnant by. In 2007, my daughter gave birth to my grandson, who she abandoned at 2 months to go do drugs again. He lives with his father. I have enrolled my granddaughter in school, gotten medicaid for my granddaughter, etc, with the custody order we had notarized. Now, my daughter, and her boyfriend say this agreement is expired, and they are taking custody of my granddaughter, even though there is no expiration date on the order. My daughter's boyfriend is an angry PTSD diagnosed Iraq war veteran, discharged from active duty with no job, he could claim 100 percent disability for his PTSD, but he won't. He is being sued for shooting a neighbors terrier when he was angry. He is always angry and violent, as is my daughter. They now direct their anger toward me mostly, but if I leave my granddaughter with them, they will direct it toward her. He has put my granddaughter in a military style choke hold, thrown her on the floor, which I have pictures of, and hit her with a belt. Can I take my granddaughter home? The police around here are no help- they are all cousins around here. I just want to take my granddaughter back to safety.

My daughter was exposed to sexual masturbation when she was 5 by another girl who was 8 during their play date over at another girl's house. When we reported to DYFS my daughter revealed that she was afraid of the girl's mom because when she asked to go to the bathroom she was not let into the house by girl's mom and the girl made her go under trampoline, made her take her under the trampoline and touched her privates. More than a year past and she said that she still remembered it and was still afraid of the girl's mom and that the whole thing bothered her and that she was afraid to say no to a girl because she did not want to lose her as a friend. We reported back in April this year to DYFS and police. In return an anonymous report was made on us that we lock our daughter in her room and sleep for hours, that we neglect her. It was clear to DYFS and police that this report was false and was made as retaliation right after molester's parents were visited by DYFS. The case against us was closed but we are not able to find out the results on our report. DYFS advised us only to speak to school principle and police advised us to move to another region that our daughter will not attend the same school with the other girl. Is this a right solution and can we take any legal actions? Our report to DYFS was anonymous. should we report it again and escalate it against girl's parent since sexual molesting took place under their property and because of lack of supervision?

I'm trying to help my daughter find an attorney. She's a single mom, and upon the birth of her 4th child she asked the father of her oldest child to take his two girls for a temporary time (few months) to help her out until she got through a rough period. He tricked her into signing a paper he had his attorney draw up which now we see gave him full custody. The mother had raised the girls for nine years prior. Her son was born with a heart defect, so she was at the hospital a lot at first. When the girls first went to live with their father, they begin telling us about spankings that were (too rough). Now, the oldest daughter went to school with a bruise on her arm; a teacher called Child Protective Services and they are investigating. We need to act now to try to get the girls back but don't know how. They came over for the weekend which is the weekend after Child Protective Services was called.