HOW TO BEHAVE WHEN JUVENILE JUSTICE WORKERS ARE AT YOUR DOOR

To continue the topic that has touched my heart deeply I'd like to tell about important rules that will help all parents during the visit of social workers.

As a rule they come suddenly, without any note or call, nobody expects to see social workers at their door (if we speak about normal families), so when they come it's always like snow in the summer, and parents are often lost and make many mistakes that will play against them..

To avoid these mistakes and prevent taking a baby away suddenly, I have prepared an instruction How to behave if social workers have come..

Of course, every country has it's own laws, but I think that common rules and the way of behavoior are rather  international.

1. Never open the door without knowing who is behind the door. 

2. If you are told that it's social workers, the commission for minors or the police, it is better not to open the door if you are not ready for such a visit or if you are at home alone or alone with the children.

What does it mean to be ready for a visit?

• You should be with an adequate witness - husband, friend, lawyer.
•  You must have a dictaphone or camera.
• You should have the clean  house, the children must have their own beds, toys, clean clothes for the season, ready meals and a supply of food in the fridge. 

If all of the above is in order, you can open it.

If not - in this case, let them know that you can not open the door (for example, you have a child sleeping, the husband forbade you to open without him, or the regime of the day does not allow, etc.). The main thing is to show that you know your rights.

Politely ask the full name and position of the employees outside the door, ask them to postpone and coordinate with you the date and time of the visit by phone.

3. It does not matter if you are registered in an apartment or rent it. 

The police or social workers can only go to the apartment in two cases: 

• if you allow them
•  or they present a court decision or warrant signed by the prosecutor.

4. If you open the door, hold your baby's hand all the time. The child can be taken unexpectedly. Unfortunately, there are such cases.

5. Check carefully before admission to the apartment, certificates of employees, write them down for yourself or take photos, as well as documents (acts, orders, etc.) about the visit to your family, especially the reasons for the visit.  

In general, you have the unconditional right to take photos, conduct audio and video shooting, as employees are at work, and you do not violate their privacy. And you have the right to inform that your lawyer asked to shoot everything for him until he could come personally.

But employees have no right to shoot or record without your permission.

7. If you have already admitted employees, offer them to take off shoes, lock the entrance door to the key, also ask to remove the outer clothing - because you have children and are kept clean. This is important for many reasons - so you take care of children, find yourself in the role of the master of the situation and warn the possibility of abruptly disappearing with the child for employees.

8. It is important to keep an eye on everyone who comes in the apartment, so do not let them go into the room without you. It can be said that the lawyer warned that the inspection of rooms and housing conditions only takes place with the owner.

Do not react to all possible threats - just write them to the recorder for your lawyer.

 9. Discard the trip with the child to the hospital, if his health is okay. Say that you bring a certificate from the doctor tomorrow. In fact, calmly sign up for a doctor, and visit him when it is convenient.

10. Do not sign anything. Report that you sign it in the presence of your lawyer, and he can not drive up now. 

I wish everyone not to have the experience of such visits, but it's better to be warned and be ready.