Child Protective Services (CPS), a state agency, handles juvenile dependency cases. CPS will look into claims of abuse or neglect and may ask the court to take the child into protective custody at the end of the process.
It is essential to understand your rights if you are being investigated by CPS. You have the right to an attorney, for example, as well as the right to deny all CPS allegations and attend every court proceeding and hearing related to the case.