Evonne,

I agree with you that the question was very important, and in some ways more needing of discussion than some of our other threads.  But this is a forum for people to talk about what they KNOW, as well as think and feel, and what they can do or are doing about situations.  If people are not responding to this question, it may not be that they are ignoring it.  It may be that they do not know the answer.

One reason that no one has answered this question, yet, perhaps, is that there are no social workers on L'net (I don't know if this is true, just throwing it out as a possibility).  Another reason could be that laws differ so widely from community to community, and are also in constant states of change as new issues and information are examined.  Also, how they are interpreted and used varies greatly according to each enforcement agency.

Last, I would say that sometimes the "red flag" is not even really there, it is only in the eye of the particular caseworker, who will then pursue it by every means available, whether it is warranted or not.

Sincerely,  Chanita