Child Maltreatment

In 2009, Arkansas child maltreatment laws were rewritten and expanded. These laws impact many people: teachers, child care workers, medical personnel, those seeking to adopt, foster families and those going through a divorce. An adverse outcome from a DHS investigation could result in the loss of your job, your professional license or your rights as a parent or guardian. We represent clients in all of these situations.

Many employers now require a search of the child maltreatment databank as a condition of employment. Some of our clients have been surprised to learn that there name is in the databank from events that occurred decades ago, at a time when employers didn’t checkthe databank as a condition of employment. There is no statute of limitations, so many people are faced with child maltreatment claims that can date back decades.

It is important to retain counsel as soon as any contact is made by the State Police or Department of Human Services no matter how trivial the charge may be. If your name ends up in the child maltreatment databank, it could, in some cases, be there for life. We have more than a decade of experience with child maltreatment issues. When a child maltreatment case also involves criminal charges, our firm will either represent you orhelp you find the right attorney for your criminal case.