Many people are surprised to be contacted a few days after their CDV arrest by social services. Around South Carolina police agenicies are automatically forwarding copies of police reports to caseworkers to use as the basis of an investigation into children's welfare and safety.
Once a report is in the hands of DSS their investigation takes a life of its own. They may talk to your neighbors, or have your children taken from the school classroom to conduct an interview. They may also provide you with a safety plan, under the threat of removing your children to foster care if you do not cooperate or comply with their instructions.
DSS may try to put rules on you and your family such as:
- Your children must be subjected to a forensic interview or taken for medical appointments
- DSS caseworkers may insist on entering and searching your home, without a search warrant
- You may be told that you cannot return home, or have any contact with your children
- A requirement for parenting classes, or drug or alcohol counseling
Keep in mind that unless and until DSS has filed a case in Court and a judge has ruled, anything DSS asks you to do is strictly voluntary.
The best way to deal with a DSS investigation is to not let them beleive that they can take advantage of you or your family. You should always tkae their investigations seriously, and you should know that the outcome of your CDV case may effect how they decide to resolve their investigation and ultimately whether or not a Family Court judge would remove your children.