Dear Scott, The court system often moves very slowly and is not structured to respond quickly to an emergency situation. There may be life long consequences resulting from child neglect or abuse. According to the Department of Children and Families website - http://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/child-welfare:
"Whenever there is family instability, an increased risk of problems for children is almost sure to follow. The loss of income, substance abuse, catastrophic illness, divorce, incarceration, etc, can cause disruptions in the quality of life for most families. The odds for tipping the scales out of balance for fragile and at-risk families are even greater.
Whether disruption leads to poverty, abuse or neglect, research clearly shows the best chance a child has of avoiding these problems is to grow up with their mom and dad in a stable, healthy family. Such children are more likely to have better physical health, stay drug-free, have higher educational aspirations, and remain socially-emotionally healthy.
