In the Matter of MK, FH# 2017-0034

Reversed - DCF did not have reasonable cause to support a neglect finding after Appellant got into an argument with her 14-year-old daughter and hospitalized her following suicidal suggestions. The Hearing Officer found that while her actions may have been rash, Appellant was acting out of concern for her daughter and did not pose any risk to her well-being. Appellant was also not neglectful in switching her other daughter’s school several times over the course of two years. While it is reasonable to believe that stability in a child’s school environment is important, Appellant’s actions did not pose any substantial risk to her well-being and it should therefore have been considered a “substantiated concern.”