An indicated report of child abuse can affect your ability to find or keep employment in a wide variety of fields, including day care, education, health care, nursing homes. paratransit, and a growing number of other jobs. Unlike with criminal records, you can be put on the state-wide child abuse registry without ever going before a judge or having a real opportunity to defend yourself. In most circumstances, if you miss the deadline to appeal the report, it stays on the registry forever and can be a permanent bar to some employment. It can also affect your ability to volunteer in your child’s school, adopt a child or become a foster parent.
CLS represents and advises individuals who have “indicated” reports of child abuse that are directly affecting their employment. We may be able to help you by: starting the process of appealing the indicated report, advocating on your behalf with the city and state agencies responsible for maintaining the child abuse registry, trying to get you a hearing if you missed the appeal deadline and ultimately representing you at the child abuse expungement hearing.
The deadline for appealing child abuse reports is very strictly kept. Therefore we urge you to send in the required documentation and seek legal assistance as quickly as possible after learning that you have an indicated report of child abuse.