Children In Need of Services (CHINS)
A news article by Francine Acevedo
Francine AcevedoJohnny was afraid to go to school because he did not want anyone to see the bruises and cuts from his father’s beatings. Skipping one day of school was not so bad, so he decided to skip a few more days. Eventually, Johnny, a star student, was not going to school at all. He was embarrassed by the way he looked and could not face the teasing at school, since he already had a bully at home. The school officials referred him to the local juvenile court for his truancy, who adjudicated him an “unruly” child. The court tried to work with his dad to make sure Johnny got to school, but according to his dad, he was too “rebellious” and wouldn’t go. If the court knew what was really happening at home, maybe Johnny and his father could have received services that would have helped him stay in school.