A petition alleging child abuse or neglect may result in the removal of the child from his or her parents or legal guardians. The parents or legal guardian may be required to participate in child abuse or neglect programs. Sometimes, the court may terminate the rights of the parents or legal guardian and place the child for adoption. Medical or physical health care providers, social workers, teachers and law enforcement personnel are required by law to report all suspected child abuse and neglect cases. These individuals must submit a report to the Family Independence Agency.
Mediation is the process of two or more people settling problems without going to court.
A neutral person called a mediator will work with both sides to assist them in reaching a satisfactory resolution of the problem. Mediation services do not work in all cases but a variety of cases can be successfully resolved using mediation. Mediation of disputes between farmers and U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies is also available, as is mediation for parents involved in disputes with schools over special education issues. Each year, over 10,000 people solve their problems this way. If you have a dispute with someone, call the local community dispute resolution center in your area.