Juvenile Dependency (CYS)

This provides information from Summit Legal Aid on your legal rights when custody of a child is taken by Children and Youth Services. The only way that CYS can take your children without your consent is with a court order that finds that your children are “dependent”. Juvenile dependency cases occur where there is evidence of an unfit home environment for children. The primary objective in these cases is to always protect the children. This page explains what makes a child "dependent" and the court process involving dependent children.