CYS Results

It has been 30-60 days since an anonymous complaint was made on the Child Line accusing you of child abuse. The investigation has been completed and a report issued. What does that report say? Children and Youth/DHS will send a letter giving the finding and explaining what it means. The letter will contain one of three results. These are Unfounded, Indicated, or Founded. What do each of them mean.

An Unfounded report is defined as any report that is not Indicated or Founded. That means that there is no proof that any actions of the accused person rose to the level of child abuse as defined in the Child Protective Service statutes.

An Indicated report is one where there is substantial evidence that an action of the accused rose to the level of child abuse based on available medical evidence, a child protective service investigation, or an admission of the alleged abuser. Typically this will be a one time act with no on going threat to the child.

A Founded report is one involving a perpetrator that is made pursuant to this chapter, if any of the following applies:

(1) There has been a judicial adjudication based on a finding that a child who is a subject of the report has been abused and the adjudication involves the same factual circumstances involved in the allegation of child abuse.

(2) There has been an acceptance into an accelerated rehabilitative disposition program and the reason for the acceptance involves the same factual circumstances involved in the allegation of child abuse.

(3) There has been a consent decree entered in a juvenile proceeding that involves the same factual circumstances.

(4) A final protection from abuse order has been granted when the child who is a subject of the report is one of the individuals protected under the protection from abuse order.

Typically, this means there is an ongoing threat of abuse and the Court has stepped in to declare the child(ren) dependent and they must be removed from the abuse perpetrator’s presence.