08/04/2026
Has a Social Worker knocked on your door?
If a social worker knocks at your door, it is typically because a referral (investigation) has been generated after a mandated reporter—such as a teacher, hospital staff, or therapist—reported a potential risk of harm to a child.
Here is how you should understand and prepare for the situation:
Understand the Process
• The Social Worker's Role: The emergency social worker’s job is to decide whether to close the investigation or promote it to a court case. They use a specific checklist to rate the seriousness of the risk.
• The Interview Structure: Interviews are divided into two parts:
1. Allegations: Questions regarding the specific reports made against you.
2. Social History: A section designed to gather background information. The social workers present it as an innocent fact-gathering. In reality, it is a "fishing expedition" used to help social workers identify additional areas to investigate and to gather evidence to be used in court.
• Possible Outcomes: There are three results of a referral:
o Unfounded: The allegations are without a factual basis, i.e. Nothing happened
o Inconclusive: There is some evidence, but not enough to take further action.
o Substantiated: The social worker will likely recommend a court case.
How to Prepare
• Preparation is Essential: You should prepare for the interview to understand the possible outcomes and how the social worker will make their decisions.
• Deciding on Legal Representation: While preparation is "absolutely" necessary, having a lawyer present during the interview is not always an "automatic yes". In some cases, the presence of a lawyer may create a negative perception that you have something to hide.
• Seek Fact-Specific Advice: Your best course of action—including what to say and whether to agree to certain requests—will depend on the specific facts of your case.
Give my office a call for a FREE 15-minute consultation or pay for a one-hour consultation and I will walk you through a DCFS checklist, share a sample of social history questions, explain what factors go into making CPS decision to open a case and what is likely to happen in Juvenile Dependency Court.
Give us a call Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm (310) 853-2907
www.juveniledependencyattorney.com