Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Child Protective Services
88Preface
The views in the following article are those of the author and do not reflect those of any other person or entity. The advice listed should not substitute that of a legal professional and are not given as legal advice. Any examples are purely fictional. The following is of personal opinion and should be read as such. This should not replace any legal or professional advice obtained. I encourage anyone who is seeking advice on any subject involving Child Protective Services to seek the advice of a legal professional.
 | Amazon Price: $13.10 List Price: $19.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $5.87 List Price: $7.50 |
 | Amazon Price: $115.43 List Price: $159.00 |
1. Legally Obligated to Investigate
You may have heard it before, but it is the truth. CPS is legally obligated to investigate every report that is received through central intake. There are instances where CPS does not investigate or the case is closed without investigation. These are instances where there is no real foundation to believe that there is abuse or neglect occurring. For instance, a report is made that a 14-year-old child is being left home alone after school. If the child does not have any special needs, is not causing any damage to property or otherwise putting himself in danger while they are home alone; the child is a normal freshman in high school with no other risk factors, this case might be closed at intake because no real neglect is occurring. If, for example, that same report states that the child has Down’s Syndrome, the report may become an investigation. There are several types of investigations ranging from one conversation with a parent to a full investigation. In any case, if the report makes it to the desk of an investigator, they are legally obligated to respond to that case. This is not a policy, this is the law. Case response time is 24 to 72 hours depending on the case. There are things, such as screening and routing, that can make this slightly longer, but generally, a case will have some response within 72 hours. A response can range from seeing the entire family to seeing just the child, or speaking with any person on the case. There may also just be unsuccessful attempts to contact someone. It does not mean that a parent will necessarily be contacted within 72 hours. A parent may not be contacted for some time after a case is initiated. The reporter is sometimes contacted prior to any action and sometimes not contacted at all.
It does not matter how ridiculous or false a claim may be. When an investigator receives the referral, they must investigate. If the child, parents, witnesses and ten other unrelated persons tell an investigator that something did not occur, the case is still completed. It has to be. That is what and investigator intends to gain from an investigation, the truth about what happened. One of my favorite quotes from a senior investigator was this: “We go out to disprove an allegation as much as they go out to prove it.” When an investigation is received, they have to look at it and gather evidence. When that evidence is gathered, they make a ruling or determination. They cannot take the word of one single person, even the child. They have to look at all evidence. If an allegation is false, give the investigator every resource to show that. Tell him or her why you think someone reported and what their motivation was. Investigators do consider this.
It does not matter how many times a report has been made by the same person or for the same thing. They still have to investigate. There are things that are in place to avoid you being harassed by a reporter or by us. The best way to show this is by example. Let’s say that you have been reported for physical abuse of your child and you completed an investigation. One week after this investigation was closed, the same reporter called in the same allegations. If there is no new incident, the investigation may be closed without you even knowing it was reporter. You may only receive a phone call. You may receive nothing. The case is closed with a ruling that it has already been investigated. If there are new alleged incidents, the case may be investigated again. If this occurs, say, four times in a row, they can start to close these without investigation. It DOES NOT always happen this way. You may be investigated for the same type of allegations from the same reporter many times. It all depends on whether new information is given in each new report. Good investigators will speak to the reporter and attempt to determine if they are doing this for reasons other than concerns for the safety of the child. Just because you are being reported, that doesn't mean you are guilty. Investigators do not assume you did it when they receive the report.
2. Can CPS see my child without my permission?
The simple answer is yes. The longer answer is:
CPS will usually attempt to see your child before they talk to you. There is one very simple reason for this. Workers want to talk to the child before any parent has a chance to at best, tell them what to say or at worst, warn them of consequences of disclosing abuse. Also, if the child has some sort of bruising or physical showing of abuse or neglect, the worker will try to get to that child before that evidence is gone. If you are reading this, you may be upset because you’ve been falsely accused. Some parents are not falsely accused and it’s important for CPS to catch those children before there can be any intimidation or coaching. If you consider this an injustice or a violation of your rights as a parent, just think of the child who is being sexually abused by a parent. The child may disclose this to a worker if they interview them prior to contact with the parent. If a parent is made aware first, are they not going to intimidate, threaten, or further harm the child in order to ensure the child does not disclose this abuse? CPS will try to see your child at school or daycare or another setting before notifying you. The rules for this may vary in some states, so check your rights in your own state. In many states, you can look up the laws and policies of your child welfare agency on the internet and read them right there.
Now, if you do not want your child interviewed and a worker comes to your school, you can tell them no. Once you have stated to a CPS worker that you do not want your child interviewed, they will not be interviewed without a court order or “exigent circumstances.” That basically means that if you refuse to allow the child to be interviewed, CPS must obtain a a court order from a judge stating that you must allow the interview or that the situation must be of such an emergency or risk to the child that the child must be taken into custody of the worker and interviewed. If the emergency situation occurs, the worker must justify that in a court within 24 hours and obtain the approval of a judge. They must also tell you. Rarely will a child be interviewed by “exigent circumstances” unless the child is removed at that time. See Removals below.
If a CPS worker wants to interview your child at your home, they must ask your permission. They cannot speak with your child at your home with you present without your consent. If you say no, they will not conduct the interview. (See below for Why you should cooperate.) Of special note: If your child is home alone, they can be talked with, but this varies in circumstance. They can't give a worker permission to enter the home. But, if the child is home alone and that is a danger, the police department will be contacted and all parties may enter your home. This is an extreme circumstance. If an older child is home alone, they generally won't be fully interviewed at that time. If they are, it will be outside of your home.
3. You do not have to let them in the door-
CPS has no special right to enter your home without your permission and you can say no. Workers do not have a right to obtain search warrants.You can still be cooperative in the investigation without ever letting a worker walk inside your door. You can open the door and allow them to look inside and still not allow them to come inside the home. Workers should ask you before coming in your home. If you say no, they cannot enter. They will not enter. If they do enter, you can contact the police. Once you do consent to allow CPS into your home, you can ask them to leave whenever you like and they must leave. For the purposes of your home and property, CPS worker are just like any other person. CPS worker cannot look through your drawers or search your home unless you give permission. Allowing entry does not entitle the worker to be able to go through your medicine cabinet. They can look around and see what is visible to their eye, but must ask permission to open a drawer or the refrigerator. (See below on why you should cooperate)
4. You have rights –
Parents or alleged perpetrators have rights. Ask your worker about those rights or research them on your own. If you get surprise visit, you can ask for time to look up your rights. You’re in more control than you think. You can say to a worker, “I’d like to talk to you in a few days after I’ve looked over my rights.” In my particular county in my state, they give out a booklet outlining the parent’s rights when they see them for the first time. Ask for time to review them if you want it. You can contact an attorney or consult with one. If it makes you feel more comfortable, do it. In most cases, a few days will not harm your case. In some cases, it may. It is better to cooperate as much as you are comfortable with in the beginning. (See why you should cooperate).
5. Screening and Risk –
So you have been accused of not supervising your child and now workers are asking you questions about drugs, alcohol, pornography, and whether you’ve ever had an abortion. They asked your child if anyone had ever attempted to touch them inappropriately and if they have food to eat every day. You feel like CPS is investigating your life from the inside out. What is going on here?
In a sense, they are investigating your life from the inside out. Workers screen all children for all types of abuse or neglect regardless of the actual allegation. They will be asked questions about the allegation, but they will also be asked broad, general questions about all types of abuse and neglect. The reasons for this should be obvious. If the allegation is false, but Mom and Dad are doing drugs in front of the child, the child is still at risk. They need to know that.
Mom and Dad are going to be asked some general screening questions as well. They’ll be asked about their own childhoods and their own habits. They’ll be asked about whether they have financial problems or domestic violence in their old relationships. These types of questions help a CPS worker determine several things. For example, is the family in a position of high stresses or does the mother or father show a pattern of behavior? Is there a long history of violence or a long history of sexual abuse or incest in a family? They want a complete picture. They want this so that they can identify if a child is at risk, but also to see if there is anything CPS can do to help that family. (See helping).
There are many times when the original allegation is not what the investigator found to be of the most concern in the family. A physical abuse allegation may lead investigators to discover that no physical abuse is occurring, but that domestic violence between Dad and his girlfriend is. They may ask you to attend some domestic violence classes even though this was not what you were reported for.
6. Drug tests
This is a sticky subject. CPS worker can drug test you. They do need your consent. They cannot force you to take it. They do not have legal authority to do that. They will not tell you that they are going to do it first and they will arrange for that test within a very short period. There are certain counties or states that will drug test every person in every case. You can be drug tested no matter your age and your children can be drug tested. There are a million rules that govern this and all kinds of different rules for each situation. You should know what those rules are and know what your rights are.
That said: The way you react to being asked to take a drug test matters. I won’t save this for the last section. If you refuse to take a drug test, you can be court ordered to take one. If you are court ordered, they will give you a nail scrape, hair follicle, or some other type that tests farther back into your history. You will then be required to take this test. This will not be long into the future and you will not “fool” a test by refusing and requiring that a court order be gotten.
If you refuse a drug test, the investigator WILL assume that you are using and act accordingly. This is important to know. People who are clean RARELY (though it does happen) refuse to take a drug test. They are more likely to demand a drug test to be cleared of the allegation of drug use than to refuse to take one on principal. You can refuse on principal and I have had it happen. It is not a good idea. Take the test.
If you are going to be positive on a drug test, tell the investigator before your take it and discuss what will happen. Positive drug tests do not mean automatic removal of your children. It may mean that they have to stay with someone else for a while, but it does not mean your children will be put in foster care. It CAN mean that, it does not always mean that. Every situation is different. Be honest and talk to your investigator. They will not be shocked. They will not overreact. They deal with it every single day.
7. Removal – a very short discussion
I have heard many things about CPS and removals. I have heard things as ridiculous as they have a “quota” they must reach for removing children or that they get “bonuses” for removing a child. I will speak only for myself when I say, I’d rather do anything than remove a child from their family. First of all, when a child is removed, they have just guaranteed ourselves an extra 50 or so hours of extra work. There are many things involved in a child’s removal that only the worker deals with. It is not pleasant and they do not want to do those things. They have enough work and they do not want to make more by removing your child for reasons other that that child’s safety.
Worker do not get bonuses, perks, meet quotas, or anything else for removals. The policy of CPS is to do everything possible to avoid removal. You may not see any of those things or think that any of those things are being done. It may happen very fast for you and you may feel that they have walked in without knowing you at all and “snatched” your baby without a moment of thought. It simply does not work that way. It doesn’t happen that fast for us and they gain information prior to coming to you. There are cases where the situation is so dire that an emergency removal is necessary based on very limited information. That information will be as reliable as possible and devastating information.
Removal is different from placement. If you have been asked to place your child with family or other types of kin, your child has not been removed. You have voluntarily placed your child in another home while you work some type of service or factors become controlled. Removal will involve a court order from a judge either prior to the removal or within 24 hours after the removal. You will be asked to attend court hearings. You will get an attorney. If this is not happening, you have not had your child removed. If your child has been legally removed, you can still place them in a relative or kin’s home.
8. Helping –
CPS can often be demonized. People, who are being investigated, understandably feel like CPS is there to harm them and tear their family apart, pry into their lives and embarrass them. People feel harassed and invaded. I get it. CPS does investigate, but they also can help you. CPS has access to massive amounts of resources and services to provide you with tools, resources, and concrete things that you want or need to help your family work better. As your investigator about anything you need, from diapers to a new home. They will get your resources if there are any. They may recommend things for you and you may recommend things for yourself. CPS is there to help whether it be to help a child from being abuse to helping a parent gain skills or resources. The goal of any investigator is not to harm your family, but to improve it. That being said, they only have the resources they have. They may not be able to fully meet all of the requests that YOU have. They will try.
9. Why Cooperating matters –
I’ve referenced this section several times. There is a reason. Cooperating with CPS is almost always to your benefit. If you don’t allow your child to be interviewed, it is natural for us to wonder why. They will ask you why. They want to know why. Why? Because they will assume you are hiding something.
I have heard every reason for why a parent does not want a child to be interviewed. The most common is that they fear that it will cause that child emotional distress. CPS workers are trained in interviewing children and trained in screening without causing emotional stress to a child. If you do your part to make the child feel less afraid or stressed, they do our part to make any interview as simple and easy as possible for a child. Most children do not find it remotely stressful and enjoy the interview. Workers may provide them with coloring books or other play things to ease the mood and make the child feel more comfortable. I have spent a full hour of pre-interview with a child in the past doing nothing but putting that child at ease before ever asking them a single question other than what their favorite color or school subject is. CPS is in the business of helping children, not harming them. They do everything they can to make children feel more safe and at ease. If a child finds the interview too distressing, they CPS worker may end the interview for that child’s sake. Most of the time, though, children have very little emotional reaction to an interview and express no distress at all.
CPS doesn’t always have to come into your home. If you do not allow us to come into your home when we’ve asked to come inside, they can assume you are hiding something. This happens to worker quite a bit more often than you’d probably expect so it is not as severe as not allowing a child to be seen or not allowing a drug test. But, if the allegation is that your house is a hazard to the child and you do not allow entry into the home, they will assume you are hiding something. If your allegation has any type of concern for people who may be living at the home or any concern for the home environment, they will assume you are hiding something. Not opening the door on principal happens, but it shouldn’t. They aren’t interested in going through your underwear drawer. They want to make sure the home is safe. As I said before, open the door and allow us to look inside and see that you don’t have trash piled to your ceiling or dog feces all over the carpet where your baby crawls around. This CAN be enough. If it is not, they can obtain a court order.
It is possible for you to be completely uncooperative with CPS. If they never see your child, your home, you, or anyone you know there is very little they can do. This, though, can be a very large red flag that something is really wrong. I, personally, suggest that if you do not wish to cooperate in any way, you contact an attorney. Have that attorney talk with us. My personal experience has been that if there is no cooperation, there are a lot of things wrong. They may just go away eventually on one case, but when families have problems, they tend to get involved more than once. If you’re hiding nothing, it’s better to just cooperate. They can close your case a lot quicker and easier if you show us that nothing is wrong.
10. Workers are people, too.
I add this last because I stand by it as the number one thing I wish people would consider. Worker are just people. They are highly trained and educated people, but they are people. They make mistakes. They miss things. They go home to their own lives. They are doing their job. They aren’t doing anything as personal vendetta against you. They aren’t judging you in a personal way. They are regulated and well supervised. They are people with a thankless job that doesn’t pay well and that requires a massive commitment. They have hobbies and dreams and goals. They have feelings. They often have their own children, their own problems, and their own pasts. They are just people.
CommentsLoading...
This was a very interesting article. I feel for CPS workers who have an unpleasant job to do and people to deal with. However, I would still not feel comfortable letting a CPS worker into my home any more than I would let the guy selling magazines in. Even having a visiting nurse over after having a baby was irritating when she sat on my couch and babbled while I agonized over the dirty laundry strewn everywhere and the piles of dirty dishes. I wanted to kick her out and go back to bed, but I had to be polite. If I have nothing to hide then making you suspicious is not going to amount to anything, since you will never be able to prove wrong-doing anyway. I will always protect my right to privacy. It is wrong to assume guilt because a person won't let a stranger into their home or let them look in their door, you are still a stranger after all.
While CPS may not initially have the authority to compel cooperation with home inspections and drug tests, they can seek and obtain a court order requiring the participation of parents.
I still donot agree with this, just based on personal experience. I find that cps workers are very coniving,very manipulative and lie really good.
sure, i believe that the vast majority of cps agents are only concerned for your best interest and the child's interest but like the author said, they are still just people. Some people are vindictive and like to hurt people, im sure CPS workers are not the only exception to this rule. All it takes is to get that one out of a hundred evil agent and boom, your family is torn apart. No wonder some people don't answer the door.
my lil girl was taken 1 year and 3 mon i have done everything they ask and i love the people that have her but they put book in my bag that say if you were my baby then cut all of her hear that want her they told me what do i do i have 2 mons
A? If i may are cps workers able to accept gifts from pple they are investigating?
R u kidding me cps take things and turn it around on people its a joke I love my kids they are my life
What happens if you are in a custody agreement and the non-custodial parent is suspected of abusing controlled substances? Will they lose visitation or just have supervised visits?
if your kids are placed with a family memeber.and your cps case is closed..and it never went legal..can you get your kids back
In my experience, not as a parent being investigated, but as an aunt, a friend, and someone who has spent most of her 58 years believing that CPS worked under established rules and/or guildelines to protect children who were at risk in the home of their parents, I think you live in a bubble. CPS and the foster care system is rampant with corruption. And just as you stated that refusal to cooperate makes a parent look guilty, people also assume that parents who feel persecuted, denied their rights, and presumed guilty until proven innocent(with no way of proving innocence when it's a CPS workers word against a parent being accused by an anonymous source of unfounded parental neglect or abuse)are only talking this way because they're guilty and trying to place the blame for the loss of their children on some imagined department corruption, or caseworkers who enjoy lording their power over others. Those of you who have never dealt with CPS and have never had the urge to see how well the system that supposedly protects our children works should do a personal investigation and familiarize yourself with the governmental department that is funded by the removal of our children from their homes. You won't have to search very hard, there are countless websites and blogs that focus on CPS corruption, CPS's unfair polcies, CPS's lack of checks and balances giving them absolute power. Well, you know the end, right? Absolute power corrups absolutely. Investigate outside of the bubble you live in. With an open mind, not defending the actions of CPS by assuming people who are not willing to give up their constitutional rights are trying to hide something. We should all be conscious of giving up our rights, not because we have something to hide, but because we don't. I guess I'm done.
"funded by the removal of our children from their homes"? Exactly how would that generate revenue? It's taxpayer dollars that fund CPS. If child welfare was never a concern, we could eliminate CPS and save money, not lose income.
Very upset with cps and school system . i was accused of neglecting my child for not taking him to a phyciatrist just becuase the school did not want to do there part. i have explained countless of times that my boy was a very shy boy and just needed confidence to speak .i also explained that i was taking him to speech therapy and they too evaluated him with that fact that he just needs confidence in speaking and that speech therapy will help. well becuase of my insurance it was taking long to get approved to continue with speech therapy out side the school . i had this problem of him being shy since first grade but had always been a straight A student. the previous school understood somewhat and was working with him but we had to move to another school district before they continued therapy on him. now with this school he is at they were freaking out becuase my son just doesnt talk in school even though i told them that at home he does talk and is a happy boy. well they assumed from the very beginning that my boy is a very depressed and sad all the time. like what in the world just happended here .no matter what ive told them they concluded that he does not qualify for speech in school becuase he can talk ,even though he doesnt talk in school.ahh hello everyone knows how to talk but speech therapy should be there for those with needed of extra help with there confidence to talk . these people at school just dont have patience thats what it is and dont want to deal with the issue . they were determined that my boy needed a phyciatrst .ok did i miss something here. here is my boy getting mostly high 90s and acheivment awards, and no where has written in his journal of being sad or giving signs of being depressed.if he was in a downspiral of course i would not ignore it.but the fact is that the problem is only at school where he just doesnt communicate . i did let them know i was working in getting him speech therapy again and belived that my son might have selective mutism ,but no they down right ignored me and recommended a facility for mental illnesses.the school had made there assumption that my boy had a mental disturbance. well what happend next was the worst time i have had to go through to be accused of medical neglect becuase i did not do what the school wanted me to do in getting outside help with a mental doctor.i had already visited the pedatrician to get a referral for speech therapy when a week later recived a knock at the door and was shocked to have cps there telling me of the accusation. at that point they tried to force me to take my son to a phyciatrst,but i put my foot down and let them know what the problem was and was only gonna do that as a last alternative.o by the way do you all know the school system gets payed for kids who are on phyc meds.i can alreay imagine if a phyciatrist sees my boy quiet he will be concluding that he is depressed just because he wont talk in school. i will not let them destroy my sons record by labeling him mentally ill over that, well i agreed to take my son to a phycologist to have him evaluated just to get them off my case and because i still beleive that my son has selective mutism. out of being shocked i didnt have time to think of my rights. now that the case is closed my name is still destroyed by all of this. never had i thought i would go through this . so parents beware. you have school systems who would do anything to label your kid mentally ill beacuse afterall they get paid pretty good for it
I have recently been involved with CPS. I'm trying to cooperate with them, because my son's caseworker seems nice. I want to get this over with quickly, because the more I read about CPS the more fear I have they will take my boy away. I love my son like crazy and have never hurt him in any way. I even agreed to a drug test though I do not use drugs. But now i'm hearing about people being clean and their drug tests coming back positive for drugs.....See, i am in college trying to get my degree so one day i can become a child psychologist. But now all of this happening because of someone acting childish because shes mad at me for having friends other than her. I am worried about mine and my sons future. he is only 10 months old and he is my first and only child. I am a young mother of 22, and so i am very attached to my son. he is like my other half. :(
IF you know that this person is there to hurt you then you have every right to make it clear to the cps people that this person is reporting falsly on you and they need to investigatr her . why are these people even going far with you. read about your rights and be strong girl because cps will try to intimidate you by telling you they can get the court to get involved .if it comes to that then you tell them you will get a laywer if you have to due to harrasement. what happends with this report is that even if it gets closed your name is on record . that person that reported you can be charged with a false report with intention to hurt. dont let them ruin your name . sorry but it does come down to that where this stupid cps keeps you on the record as being investigated even tho you did nothing wrong . it happend to me .case closed but affected me emotionlly and leaves a scar on you .how dare them come to that point where it affects your background check even tho you are being ruled out. something needs to be done . cps should not have the right to steal our dignity,but they do . make sure if this person that reported keeps hurting your reputation,do not let your self and press charges on her. talk to someone legally if you have to.
can CPS make you take your child to see a doctor for "coining" (an medical therapy" performed in asian cultures? i was asked to take my son to a doctor to see if what i am doing is making my son worse, hurting him, or does it actually work for him. my family had performed coing since before i was born even on myself and it does help. but if you dont know the asian culture, or know how things work in the culture than who are you to judge so quickly, and by all means how is an American gonna tell CPS about something they no nothing about....what do i do? this is discimination to me against my culture!!
hi, there are quite a few crooked workers here in Santa Barbara county. Sadly when the wrong doings of the Social Workers are brought to the Supervisors attention, the whole agency acts as if they must clean up, cover, and speak for the corrupt workers. Some are great and deal with cases as a case and are not all personal against you, but in my experience I have dealt with some who were took it very personally. I suggest you all read the NASW guidlines and rights, brush up on your rights as clients and ALSO read the obligations of the CWS workers so you know Exactly how they are to treat you on their behalf as well. Keep logs of times, dates, meetings and incidents with them in a journal because we are dealing with some who will lie and provoke you for personal reasons other than the case. They do manipulate as well. Some, not all. Have proper discernment when dealing with them because they are not your friends. They are doing a job and some do it excellently, some corruptly.
You make a great point jess it is very true how cps is. For you kimsoem how dare cps do that to you, and yes cps does force people. if you do decide to go to the doctor go to one that is familar with the coining practice to back you up.of course be strong and make yourself clear that they are falsly reporting you ,which in turn will get a representative to back you up . do not let yourself be intimidated by them .talk to a representative girl because that is discrimination and harrasment that they are doing to you. In my case i too was being told by the cps i had to take my boy to see a phyciatrist just because the school system said he needed to just because he was quiet at school but talks at home and with poeple he is comfortable with . i refused on there descision but i was working already to take my kid to a speech therapist to work with his shyness. i put my foot down and told them what my plans were and that my boy had been getting help before by speech therapy but my insurance dropped during that time but was trying to get the therapy back .the cps guy was like well if you dont comply im going to have to get the court involved if he has too. i defended myself and told him i know my kid better than that school and will do it only as a last alternative .i told him how dare that school make that determination on my kid and i and if i have to i will get a lawyer to represent me . i also included to him why didnt the school offer counsling or speech therapy huh well because the school gets paid for kids on phyc meds i told him . i also told him can you imagine if i take my kid to see a phyciatrst for being quiet at school he will probably conclude that my kid is depressed and will prescribe medication. i will not let them do that to my kid. i did not take him but did take my kid to a phycologist just to get them off my back. case closed now but my reputation is ruined by the report even though i was ruled out. this is going on more requently than ever with shy kids and active ones where paraents are being forced to take them to a mental doctor and then prescribed medicstions . i know about several who the stupid school system is having parents go see a mental professional for there kid just because they dont talk at school and also when they talk too much. what is going on with this system they seriouly need to investiagte cps and the school systems. remember the more kids on mental drugs the more the school gets profit out of it . how sad for these kids.
I once walked in on 2 cps workers laughing and bragging about how many children they removed from homes smh .. A few bad apples ruined the whole bunch # Corrupt
CC: No, they are not allowed. That's unethical.
mm: If there is no legal order and the case is completely closed, then yes, you can. If there is a voluntary placement with family members, it can be revoked at any time. If you signed a power of attorney.. the moment you revoke that, it is invalid. That is NOT to say that CPS won't become involved AGAIN if the kids go back to the parent. A new report can be made and they're right back in your life. BUT, legally, yes you can and it is not in violation of any order.
"kimsoeun 2 days ago
can CPS make you take your child to see a doctor for "coining" (an medical therapy" performed in asian cultures? i was asked to take my son to a doctor to see if what i am doing is making my son worse, hurting him, or does it actually work for him. my family had performed coing since before i was born even on myself and it does help. but if you dont know the asian culture, or know how things work in the culture than who are you to judge so quickly, and by all means how is an American gonna tell CPS about something they no nothing about....what do i do? this is discimination to me against my culture!"
Ok. This is complicated. There ARE policies in CPS about "coining" and other cultural treatments. They CAN ask you to take your son to the doctor (They can't MAKE you do anything without a court order). They can do this and probably are just doing this to have documented verification from a doctor that this is not causing significant physical injuries to the child. And I agree, it is somewhat discrimination against your culture to investigate for this. But, again, they are REQUIRED to investigate. If your case is not ruled out... then, in my opinion, you'd have a pretty good chance of having that overturned. I have had cases with coining before and they were always closed. Asking you to take the child to the doctor is probably more to reinforced the "rule out".
On opinions about corruption: Here's all I can say: There are a wide range of different personalities, burn out levels, and motivations for working with CPS. There are several layers of approval involved for an investigation to prevent just one person from making the decision. Also, if you feel like your ruling was wrong, there's an appeal process and that process is performed by an entirely different unit at the State Level so that the original persons involved do not make any decisions. Yes, the system is not perfect by a long shot. And some of the things I've heard CPS workers say scare me as well! Backgrounds, culture, personal experiences, childhood experiences, etc all effect a person's ability to do that job. CPS worker are human. BUT, there are layers of protection in place. And I can't imagine that they'd be "bragging" about taking children. I can imagine that conversation might have been occurring, but I'd guess it was with a level of frustration and/or venting about how much work that had been for the investigation. I don't know how to reiterate how much CPS worker DO NOT like taking children. It is their job. And it is the WORST part of their job.
This was a very informative helpful lens. It all sounds great,maybe you believe this. Reality being; in most cps allegations a deputy or police officer , sometimes several will accompany the dss employee to your home. We had a whole swat team arrive at our home. Over a anonymous call that would hardly meet any definition of valid. Our children and other children that were visiting our home were all hauled outside, interrogated and seized and stuck with strangers in foster houses. The cases all dismissed unfounded a month later. No exigent circumstances, no attempt to prevent removal. No Title IV funding allowed under the Social Security Act. The most corrupt dss workers are the ones that always arrive with a deputy or police officer as they have already decided to remove your children and know they will need the officer to assist as most parents will fight to save their child from the nightmare that awaits them. Yes.. you can refuse to let them in. They will kick your door in anyway and then lie about it. Make sure you have the tape recorder rolling. Security cameras are a good idea. Try to have a witnesses. Hire a court reporter for the hearings. Don't discuss anything or answer any questions outside of hearings. The guardian ad litems,dss employee,foster workers, even counselors are not your friend.They are there to help take your child away permanently. They are not your friend and could care less about your child. It's about money. Put everything to your attorney in writing certified mail.State in writing what you expect him to do for you. Most of the time these attorneys are beholden to dss as well. Do not let the attorney convince you to sign away your rights or your child. Stand your ground. Don't let them "Blackmail" you. This is what they will do. They will try to withhold your child to get you to go along with case plan so they can extort the government funds on behalf of your child. If they get you to agree to this foster prevention and other service plans..your child becomes a foster candidate which allows dss and it's service providers to continue receiving "maintenance funds" foster care pevention funds administrative funds. Money continues. This is why dss workers try to take the children and immediately put them with strangers. This starts the funds coming in. In the majority of cases and parents we have interviewed we found; no attempts are made to place the child with available family. The system has been left unchecked for to long it has become corrupt. A lot of the dss workers are not qualified or trained to properly work for cps. The family court is a court of no record. No one is monitoring anything.Most family court judges previously worked for cps and still do while presiding in conflict of their judicail mandate. The family courts follow no rules of civil procedure. The family court is an absolute embarassment to the judicial system. We would be embarrassed to preside or even work in such a court. Kangaroo Court. Cps fails miserably to actually do the job it was put in place to do. Our best friend worked for cps and left after a year. She stated it was the most horrific corrupt agency she had ever seen. She now heads another big government agency. At least the agency she heads now is not involved in "child trafficking". You can not come on these sites and candy coat it. It's horrific, it's corrupt, it needs to be eliminated. It' "child trafficking".
Thank you CPS for all you do. I see way too many kids in PICU who could have benefitted from being removed from a home that is abusive. I realize your jobs are difficult, and I have so much respect for all the crap/beauracracy you have to put up with. So thank you. From someone you once saved.
i just got involved yestuday with cps on my 16 month old daughter. i have voicemails on my phone, death threats, name calling and cps threats because i was unable to pay my rent, they kicked me out and now they still want the money. i told cps about them, showing that i had threats that where being acted apon, and she said thats not what she was here for. i was accused of child neglect, child abuse, drug abuse, and domesetic violence with my boyfriend. there is not a single police report for me since i was myself put into foster care. and my boyfriend has a simple battery from a normal fight he had with a guy over 4 years ago. we both passed our drug test on spot, my daughter only has a few bug bites and a birth mark and is well fed and clothed. but now my living situation is having to change because the family im staying with does not want cps involved in there life. can i give my daughter to a person who has been inspected before for cps housing for a short time till i can get on my feet?? is that considered being "unfit" for my daughter? and what can i do about the threats. i also have proof that they said when cps finds us, they will give them my address and they will come after us.
Nicole, are you actively avoiding CPS right now? I'm confused. There are two ways to go about that if so... 1. They'll close the case if they can't find you for a certain period of time. They close it but they also flag you so if you get another investigation, it's given a higher priority because they couldn't find you on the last investigation. 2. It doesn't sound like there's any reason you should be worrying about CPS? They came and they left? If so, there's no need to worry about changing anything or placing your daughter. If CPS wants you to do that, they'll tell you immediately. As far as letting your daughter stay with someone else, that's your business, not CPS's as long as you aren't putting your child in danger. Maybe I'm not seeing all the details, but it seems like you're worrying about CPS when CPS is probably done with their involvement?
I've have had a referal from CPS before. For being admitted for postpartum depression. I had visitations rights, followed through with the treatment plan. But my son was never taken into custody. Soon after the case was closed. A year has passed and I have been going to therapy on my own, getting more involved on how to better myself for my children. For my family. Since then there has been a few domestic disputes with me and my husband, that was not brought to light. I was not very confident in letting anyone know due to my prior mental instability. I believed that no one would believe a word I said. I became more and more involved in trying to get my husband to come with my to maritial classes to strengthen our marriage, I've been on 3. He's only made it to 1. I set up a marriage counseling session that ended up bad where he walked out. I was actively trying to fix my marriage and it only seemed to get worse. We agreed that he and I separated temporarily. He then moved out. And for 4 months slowly but surely we were able to be in be around each other without arguing. Then one night happened where things went horribly wrong, where not only me but my sons life was threatened. I am currently pregnant and am due any day now. And because of that night ended up in the hospital in the result of running away to get help. When I reported it, the police came to take my statement. I was admitted for having preterm complications. Was in the hospital for 2 nights. I left against docs recommendation because of how close I am to having this baby. Just so that I can go to court and file a protective order for me and my son. The day I get discharged a social worker and two police officers come to take my son into protective custody. During the time I was in the hospital, my son was being taken care of by my co worker. My husband did not know where he was. The social worker said that he is being taken because my husband filed a police report saying I kidnapped my son. And that the reason why they're taking him is because he (my husband) threatened to kill us( me and my son) and I have mental issues. She handed me a card and said here is the shelter hearing tomorrow.
The next day after the hearing I spoke with the cps worker and gave her my statement. She asked what happened from the last time i had the referral ( she happened to be the case worker from last year as well) until now. I was truthful and told her what happened. I immediately asked for visitations. The next day my husband came in she took his statement as well. Since both of our statements coincide with each other she is going to file a petition for child neglect. She has also mentioned to me that once my baby is born, that they will be removing him the day he is born.
I was trying to do the right thing. And was fearful from the beginning to not say anything because I was afraid that either 1. No one would believe me. 2. They would use my prior mental instability against me. 3. Take my child away from me. And since I have reported it, i find myself regretting ever doing so. You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.
I don't trust CPS or any government agency. I have been harrassed repeatedly by CPS because if someone doesn't like me or the way I raise my kids or they just need someone to focus on other than themselves I get reported for child neglect or if I say something they add or subtract words to report that I said.I have had CPS or the City of Phx neighborhhood services called on me at least 100 times (between the two) just because someone doesn't like me and this has caused me some problems. I only have 1 child left of six that I raised and CPS was just at my home last Thursday because my sons school called them because I can't get him to get up and go to school. If this had been anyone else they would have just cited them for truancy and they would have gone before a juvenile court judge been given community service possibly a probation officer. But because its me I get CPS up my ass again. As far as I am concerned this is nothing more than pure straight up harrassment! My son said he would run if they try to take him from his dad and I and I know that he has enough friends that would hide him out. I would rather him run than for him to go into that system because someone wants to get at me. Should I ever find out who has been behind this for over 16 years I promise you I will have them in court as well as there will be things attached to them that they would never be able unattach from since it would not be of this world or demension.No I'm not crazy,I am a practicing witch.
Have u looked into getting someone to represent you. Do not let cps intimidate you. fight a good fight ,will be a hard one but get as much help as you can .get witnesses behind you that know the real you .and as far as knowing who has been behind reporting you,if the same person has reported you all these years has cps gotten a hint that maybe they are purposely hurting you. you have the right to defend yourself and family on this. you can do something about it and press charges against this person who is falsly accusing you. read on your rights and keep your head up.
A case was opened on my ex husband for a drity house and smoking weed in front of the kids the the cps worker liked him and his girlfriend so she harassed me and the case was suppose to be clothes over 6mon ago when i asked her help with a few things she never helped me and even yelled at me finally they took my kids i will do whatever it takes to get them back the only good thing that came oit of all this horrible mess is i now have a new worker so everyone please pray for me and all those parents that deserve their kids back. And please report your worker if your being mistreated.
My brother in law reported me for a dirty house. The CPS worker came and talked to the kids...one by one, alone on the porch. I cooperated, even invited my CPS worker in for coffee. It was pretty funny because the worst thing my kids could come up with about how awful it was to live at home was that their closets were not big enough for all their stuff.
What I am trying to say is that KIDS DO NOT GET TAKEN FOR NO REASON. I feel for all these individuals whose children have been placed elsewhere, but CPS really looks at the best interest of the children. And it is a shitload of paperwork to take kids out of a home, so
I doubt they would do it unless there were grounds to do so. So take a good long look at yourselves. You say you would do anything to get your kids back, but you are parked in front of a computer complaining. Why not try to make some lifestyle changes and be better parents, instead of whining about CPS and how mean they were to you?
You're right. They have to do their job. But keep in mind that kids are taken for "Allegations" Much like what your brother in law had reported you as having a "Dirty house" It is a process. After your children are taken, IF they are taken, there is a shelter hearing. After seven days an investigation is conducted by CPS. The investigation/reports of any findings will then be given to the DA. It is up to the DA to decide whether or not she/he will grant or deny the petition. This is at the initial hearing. If there is no findings of child abuse and/or neglect than by law your children will be returned back into the home.
After keeping up on the reading here it amazes me to hear such heart breaking incidents. As I stated above you WILL have good CWS workers who truly do their job with the best interest of the children and family in mind. Those workers we can thank God for because they have not fallen like other corrupt social workers who do about as much lying, manipulation, and crooked court reports. They do exist. As I said, some, not all. But I have a had more than a handful of bad apples. No matter what, they do DO their job. Thats a given... its just a matter of their own morals and principals they choose to follow. Yes, we are all human, but in a job where you are there to protect children from REAL bad parents, not ones they don't like because you don't respect them or praise them how THEY WISH. They end up forgetting they are in a blessed position and in turn they act as if their job is one big great repeat of high school, childish elementary games. I'm sure policemen don't over react just because they are not being praised and treated like kings. They over react when there is evidence of injustice, not allegations and personal judgement (which is misleading if you have a hateful spirit yourself) Reality is a lot of innocent families do get mistreated based on a CWS workers personal issues and judgements. I do understand that they do see and deal with a lot, what I don't understand is if they do not have thick skin or can not deal with the job, why not leave it for other CWS workers who CAN remain PROFESSIONAL and ETHICALAl?
Also please be aware that there may possibly be a worker in this site dealing and giving bad information to you all. Please be aware and have proper discernment. Read the NASW rules and regulation. It is available online as well. Become familiar so before you take any advice given here you will know basics. I wish all you the best of luck and yes fightiong the government is a toss up, pretty much but every voice, complaint and such does add up so it will draw attention and soon enough the whole ciorrupt system will eventually have to take a fall, be under investigation and have to be clean. Don't think it won't make a difference because a year from now it can help save another innocent family. Oh, also I don't believe all are innocent who have open cases, so CWS won't be with out a job =) They just wont have as many =)
Some children truly do deserve a better chance in life and a home. Good luck to all of you, this is hard battle, but keep up your strength. We are not alone in this fight. =)
Ok so someone tell me what I should do. In october I had my two kids taken away, a 3 months old son whom I was wanting to give up for adoption, and my now 2 year old daughter. Cps got involved because I told my mother that I was going to give my son up for adoption and she flipped out and called cps and told them I was trying to sell him. Then the investigator went to my husbands job and a pissed off co-worker lied and told her that he "over heard" my husband say he was going to kill the baby. He was mad because my husband took his job.. So cps took the kids. We agreed that the 3 month old would be put up for adoption and the goal for my daughter was for her to come home after we completed all the services they planned for us. Well we finished everything they asked us to do, cooperated with everything, and now all of a sudden they tell us that they believe the FALSE REPORTS about us wanting to kill the baby. So they tell us that their goal for my daughter is unrelated adoption because they feel her life will be in danger.. Now we are going to a jury trial and I am petrified. I can't lose my baby girl, she is my life..
Jessica :) I agree. I am just a woman who has done this job. I know what I know about it and put a full disclosure at the beginning of the article. I have been inside and on the other side so I share as a PERSONAL experience and with my PERSONAL knowledge. I have only worked in one state (Texas) and I only know the ins and outs in this state. Consider what I say to be just talking to a friend who has been an investigator and nothing much more. I agree that any time there is hearty CPS involvement, you should do your research and consult with a LEGAL professional in your state. There ARE things about CPS I do not like. There are things about the system I do not like. Every case is different and there are two sides to each story. The original content of this article is solid. But anything outside of that is just me talking to you guys :)
On the other side of the coin, with very few exceptions, every case I had the parents and family believed that CPS was persecuting them. They'd tout that they were caring for their kids while having positive drug tests for heroin or cocaine. It was a very running theme that the more evidence that was against the parent, the more CPS was wrong and unethical. Taking your child from your home is the most heart breaking, traumatic, confusing, devistating thing in the world for a parent. That's completely understandable. I have children. I'd fight til my death if it happened to me. But to reply to another comment, a child cannot and will not be taken without grounds. And (in Texas anyway) a child can't be taken without a court order already approved OR with imminent danger and then there has to be more than one level of approval inside CPS for it. The court hearing in Texas must be within 24 hours, not a week. There is ANOTHER hearing later, but there MUST be a hearing within 24 hours or prior to removal. The only removal that isn't pre-approved is imminent danger to the child and it MUST BE very significant. That's in Texas... I'm not sure what the laws are for other states.
Also on the other side of the coin... How many times have you heard: "Where was CPS?" when a child is hurt significantly or dies? "CPS was just at their house! Why didn't they take the child?!?" CPS is demonized no matter what. I get that. Everyone gets that. BUT.. I truly believe I saved children's lives. I truly believe I strengthened families. I truly believe that I saved parents as well. And I don't regret a moment of it. And I was thanked far less than I was demonized, but those "thank you's" mean everything to someone who chooses this extremely difficult and heart breaking profession.
My brother is a known drug addict, to about everything but the biggest being Ecstasy and I'm the one who's been finding the drugs, giving them to the cops etc etc. Also he tries to fight me ALL the time, claiming he'll "Beat my ass" but I refuse t ever hit him. He tortures me, such as poring hot butter on the floor where I walk, writing on my childhood photos, choking me in the hall many times threatening to kill me and then putting me in the hospital one night when he tried to kill me. Also pooping in my bowl and putting it back in the cupboard. He's into gangs and claims he'll just go back to doing all of this when he gets out. He's 17 and very violent in a gang called The white rings...or something like that. His gangs goals are,
"MONEY - WOMEN - FAME"
He's stolen all the money he could from us, he's slept with about everyone he meets because of his ecstasy habit, and now he wants this to be on the news. He told my grandma, he wants to be KNOWN all around.
So I get in his way of having "fun" and several week prior to breaking his probation, committing assault and trying to kill himself, he threatens that if I get hi in trouble or if the cops are called on him, he'll turn me in as a child molester. Well he tried to kill me because I threaten to turn him in if he acts out again, and he broke his probation. My grandma calls the cops, which of course he tried to commit suicide and then told everyone that I molested him.
He claims, that I have been raping him since he was 3, which would make me 5. At knife point. This apparently continued for years, even to where I used a sword on him. He says I threaten to kill him if he ever got a girlfriend or tells. And way too much more to type, but he's accusing everyone in the family of stuff. My grandmother who's 70 is supposedly a meth addict, and a pervert. My grandpa does acid. etc. A ton of things.
I won't go into more detail. Although I have witnesses to him changing the story 3 times, and when cornered by me telling him that it's wrong to ruin lives just because you want to he said,
"So, I don't give a f*ck, I'll call silent whiteness"
He's been diagnosed with mood changes and we think he is bipolar. Also his brain is screwed up from so much drugs...and carpet cleaner, not kidding.
I'm Autistic, I can function but I have great trouble with things. One being able to hold onto any guilt. I can't do it, I squish a lady bug and I didn't mean it, I feel awful. When I yell at people I always returned to give them a hug and tell them I'm sorry. People know this. I show most *80% or so* of the Autism symptoms. And Aspergers. Idk, I'm trying to get all the papers the schools had on it. Even when my brother was trying to kill me I couldn't hit him, I couldn't hurt him.
But given all this, and the fact that it all happened more than a month ago and CPS hasn't contacted me, the cops haven't shown up for a month, just nothing done against me, what do you think? I have anxiety attacks and not knowing whats going on is really bugging me. CPS is leaving the fact that he assaulted me and all that he did out of their reports.
Is CPS coming for me? Or is this investigation not going on. He's out of his head and out for fame + revenge. Clearly. Will case worker be a complete jerk? I mean she DID lose my brother once already, and couldn't find him. I don't knowhow long it takes until a cop shows up to ask you stuff. So...advice?
PS: I do kill roaches, they scare my girlfriend. I will also be pressing charges for assault and destruction of property, if that helps the motivation for revenge along. I do want to get him for false accusations with malicious intent though, and for all the stress I'm having, and my family. We are afraid of him, yet CPS labeled us the danger.
Bravo CPS...bravo...saving the child for sure.
Ok just tonight he called my grandmother and swore he will kill me & my uncle and maybe a few others, then himself. He's also using his life as leverage! Is my grandma doesn't believe everything he says, then he'll kill himself. He then yells at her, calls her a b*tch, screams at her about things she knows are not true, like she's doing meth etc. And then when she says, "Well that didn't happen! I was there!" He'd say, "You b*tch, you just don't remember because you're old!" *sigh* He's ruined his life and dragging everyone down with him. I'm sorry, but really I just need to talk about all of this, and not just to family.
Ok, some I am at a loss of what to do. My oldest son (11) has Been diagnosed with several different mental health issues. He spent a week in the hospital was put on medication and returned home. We struggle everyday with his issues and it is very hard on our family. He sees a psychiatrist every two weeks and goes to therapy once a week. My ex father in law called cps (DCF in our state) and reported medical neglect. He also use to work for DCF. My son has missed a total of 2 out of probably 15 appointments since mid february. These people have been trying to get my kids since their son and I divorced. Since they have no legal rights to them I believe this is their way of doing it. I am terrified that since they have connections and money that I will loose my children. The thing that really infuriates me is that they let my son do everything the therapist says they shouldn't. He stays up all night, plays violent video games, does whatever he wants with no consequences!!! I can't afford a lawyer and am terrified in going to loose all of my kids, including my daughter with my current husband.
my ex husband has had cps called on him twice by the school. I dont disagree with them calling since what they are accusing him of is true. I dont understand why i havent been called this second time around and my kids and the police have already come out. Im scared i dont want my kids to be taken away. I live out state and I dont know what my rights are? My ex doesnt take care of the kids the way he should , we have an older son who is blind and there are needs that my ex is not meeting. Will cps try to take them from both of us? IS there things i should not discuss with cps?
Great article but it did not touch on one thing I need to know. Is it legal to remove or make a parent terminate their rights because the parent is Bipolar. Only because they are bipolar and is it legal for the state to basically intimidate a parent into signing over their rights because the parent is bipolar and has been in treatment as asked and has followed their service plan with no questions asked? If the only reason is a parents bipolar which is under control and said parent maintains consistency and reliability for 2 years time wouldn't it be considered discrimination against the parent to keep the children and lastly what if said parent has many mandated reporters including the state's own staff backing the for returning the kids, is it legal any of it?
I have to deal with the cps in my city Peru Indiana and as far as im concerned they are out for blood i try to be the perfect mom and they do is see me as a demon that wants to hurt her baby's this is bullshit i have never laid a hand on my kids i have a high school diploma i am married to a man in the army and has a good job, i have a car and my drivers license. and the school want to get me on educational neglect ! because i am sick i have anemia witch causes me to be tired all the time when untreated can be deadly. Yes my child was late to school and missed enough days but he is passing because i work with him at home on the couch its not like he is out running the street cause he is not.. I love my kids i have never hurt them and some dumb ass wants to sake my world like its in a fucking snow globe !! talk about fake reports. Watch out people the cps is out to get your kids and mine ! i say DO not let them get away with it make them prove you unfit in court !!!!! Get an attorney and if you cant afford one buy the newest family law book that pertaining to your case and defend you kids and home don't roll over and die like this bitch suggests. She is fucking cps what do you expect her to say roll over and die now or else fuck that fight!!!!!!
Hey girl you are right. its sad that cps is not using there so called expertise the right way . and yes they will try to intimidate you and say if you dont comply we can take it to court. well you know what ok bring it on ,thats when you say fine you will see to it with my lawyer. if you know you did not do anything wrong ,keep your head up and fight them head on with bringing a representative,record all conversations,times and get witnesses on your side. oh and about the school on falsly accusing you, you have every right to report them on that . yes they are very concerned of not having a student in the school seat why you say becuase the school system will not get paid. its all about money more than there concern of there student. i too remember getting a warning report from the school beacuse my boy missed school for 9 days total in a school year and yes he had excuses, but the warning clearly bolded there typing of fees of 500 and up like what just happened here!! so its not just the cps .on cps no matter how stupid the report is they are obligated to investigate.the problem with the school systems is they are quick to judge on a person . but o wait if they do have problems in school as a staff they much are pretty safe from outside investigation . Message to CPS:Hey cps can you go check out the schools staff lives too lets see how clean there house is lets see how well behaved there with there kids and lets see how they really act behind closed doors in there classrooms. its hard enough to leave are kids in the hands of others in school who knows what they really do . they is so much going on of problems in schools ,its just not safe anymore. Now one last message to leave to you Vikki ,look into online K-12 for public schools for your children .it just might end up being the better choice for you all. its more focused on the kids ,learn at there own pace and just might even advance greater than going to a regular public school.schools are now getting more scarry by the minute .violence,drugs,no respect to teachers and teachers to students etc. one can easly be lost in the crowd and not learn the way one should learn at school. you have the right to make the best choice for your child .
I have been dealing wit CPS, for six years. My son has a number of illnesses, ranging from mental disorders to physical. I moved to another city, in search of a satisfying medical system. My son was taken from me several years ago due to false accusations. While in states custody was force fed, over medicated and left in a nursing home for children. I was portrayed as a drug addicted teen. When heard before a judge my son was put back in my custody. Up until this removal I was still having to battle with damage that was caused by the state. My son was removed again in September while i was at work. the nurse that was caring for him was the one who reported me for abuse. Coincidentally that morning I threatened to report her for not properly feeding my son. This nurse has three adopted children that she cared for prior to the adoption. I was denied visitations after a week in which my son gained ten pounds. I am 24, two degrees in the field of business. I am not blessed to have children without complications. So my dependency on my son is more than his for me. I am a mother I love my children. I have fought all four corners of CPS. It is a battle that I am losing. My son is the one who suffers the most. But I'm labeled as this monster. Why should CPS have more say over my child than myself. When his safety is clearly not their concern.
My sisters and I were taken from our parents in 1988, when I was 8 years old. My other two sisters were 6 and 4 at the time. I actually had very good parents and the system failed all of us. My mother always dressed us alike and she braided our hair all the time. She was a very attentive mother and she breast fed all of us for well over a year. I remember her painting a giant rainbow on my walls. I loved Rainbow Brite back then!! I have so many good memories and no bad memories. My Dad spanked us a few times, but it was only if we did something really bad.
My Aunt wanted custody of us three girls and now I think it's because she was jealous and wanted to destroy our family. I have memories of my Aunt telling me to say that my Dad molested me, but I have no memories of him actually doing it. I remember feeling very confused and I didn't know what was going on. We were removed and my sisters and I told the courts that we were told to say certain things. The charges were dropped against my Dad, but they still wouldn't give us back. To make a long story short, we spent the rest of our lives in Foster care!!! We were abused in the system and my sisters and I only survived because we bonded together.
Now, I am 32 years old and the pain is still very deep. I've done everything I can to be productive and successful in society, but yet I still go to bed with tears streaming down my face at least a few times each month. There is a deep void inside my heart and I feel like I can't trust anyone. Many people think foster kids grow up to become drug addicts. My sisters and I stayed away from drugs!!! I work as a loan officer and I wrote articles for Demand Media for years. These days there are no titles at Demand Media Studios, so I am still looking for more freelance work.... I just want people to know that not all foster kids turn out badly as adults. Some of us just carry around baggage!! I still have nightmares of CPS taking me from my parents.
Now, I'm going to back up a bit.. I met my husband in high school, so we thought we would play it smart and wait to have children. We waited 10 years to have our first child. I was 25 when he was born and now we have two other boys, ages 4 and 5 months.
I strive to be an amazing Mother, because I would never want to give them a reason to take my precious babies from me. I am nursing my 3rd son now and I have the most amazing bond with him and all of my boys. My children are my life!!! My biggest fear is losing them to the system. How would I know they are safe?? How would I know that they are not being abused by foster parents?? Some people say these fears are crazy, but I have them because I was a victim of the system!!
I love my children more than words can express, yet sometimes the pain from the past cause me to be too protective of them. Losing your family is like dealing with a death because you are mourning a loss. My Dad and his wife drove up to see the boys not too long ago, and I can see that he still battles the pain. I wish I could get those years back with my Dad. My poor father!! The entire system has greatly failed us. It breaks my heart that people can make up lies and destroy a family!! I wonder if this still happens today. My sisters and I are still traumatized from the medical appointments we had to endure because of the allegations against my Dad. I had to get undressed and wear a hospital gown. I was so scared!! I had to lay on a table and open my legs while he inspected me!! This was horrible. I am still afraid of paps as an adult because of this!! No child should have to go through what we went through!!!
Be very careful before you call CPS about anything, because you could be putting a child or several children in a worse situation. Foster parents can be very abusive. I know the system was very corrupt in the 80's, but I still hear horror stories today.
I have a few other questions though... Both of my parents owe the state of CA 250k!! Is this about money or not?? Why would they owe so much money?? Why are so many kids taken and never returned?? How has the system really changed in the last 20 years?? Do parents have more rights or less rights these days?? How do I ease my fears?? How do I feel secure??
i would like to know if you and your parents where in a cps case that invovled you being taken away. can either you or your parent take gaudianship of a child from cps or for any other reason.
OMG this story brought tears to my eyes. You and your family have endured so much pain. . This is pure INJUSTICE!! . You and your family have beed destroyed by this system. Have you had a hard talk with your aunt about this. Dont understand why your parents ended up with a huge charge. What evidence did they even find . OMG this world we live in is so corrupt.The one that can help you in your ordeal is GOD. You might feel thats he is not there for you , but he is. He knows the pain you all are in . He made it clear through his word the bible how this system of things will be but he gives us hope for a better future where there will be no suffering or corruption. Here are words of wisdom in Psalms 118:5-8: Out of the distressing circumstances I called upon Jah;Jah answered and put me into a roomy place.Jehova is on my side;I shall not fear.What can earthling man do to me?Jehova is on my side among those helping me ,So I myself shall look upon those hating me. It is better to take refuge in Jehova than to trust in earthling man. So search for him and you will find comfort for you and your famliy in remaing strong and happy together.
My niece was taken by the state when she was barely two years old. Her dad called the state asking for help because he couldn't stay where he was; I believe it was more along the lines of he didn't want to. The state went to his house, when my niece was not there, they had a police officer pull her paternal aunt over and took her. This caused emotional and mental trauma for not only my niece but her paternal cousin.
I have had custody off and on of my niece since she was ten months old. I was seventeen when I first had custody of her. I have had three more times before the state took her. They said that my sister was irresponsible for not paying me to take care of my niece.
The "reason" I can't have custody of my niece this time, is because of my husband's record. When I've been with him since I was eighteen and was given paperwork stating that her father could not take him from my home; we lived together and the state was aware.
There have been many more instances since the state removed my niece from my families custody. She is now living in a home where she was "accidentally" hurt by a dog. The state did nothing, the foster father she was with during this time, was later to be found that he should never have been approved as a foster parent but the state left her in his custody.
The state does not ensure that the family gets to see her, because my sister, "should be more concerned about her visits" when it was always a part of my nieces schedule to see the maternal side on an almost daily basis.
There was an incident at my sister's neighbors house, where someone visiting shot a gun in the apartment next door at five in the morning with both my niece and my sister sleeping. My sister checked on my niece when she heard the noise saw her daughter was sleeping, made certain she was safe. The state said that she was not aware of what/who was safe when she should not be held accountable for someone else's behaviors.
I have personally dealt with CPS, and there are some caseworkers who do not care about the emotional or physical well-being of a child.
I see it both ways; I dislike gov't intrusion, and yet, after being an employed part of CPS, I see the necessity too. Many people (read above) state that 'there's no reason for this' but there is. There absolutely is but they don't see it. "I only shoot up when my kid's at the babysitter's" or "I don't believe my boyfriend would have done that" (despite DNA) or "The kids are in bed when I'm drunk" are reasons I have seen for kids' removal but the parents still deny that there's a problem. I'm a cynic. I read a lot of these comments and thought "yeah, right". I've just seen too much B.S. And if you are so innocent, comply and do what is asked of you.
Ok, so you say and if you are so innocent comply and do what is asked of you. R you serious. So what makes you the right to violate people in such a way that you throw your judgment on innocent people. If you dont do this if you dont do that yes place fear on people by saying what comes next ,OR YOUR KIDS WILL BE TAKEN FROM YOU!!Obviously you havent come accross people who have been broken yes emotionally scarred after the inital accusation. As it happend to me where it broke my heart to think someone can easily report such an awful accusation over a misjudgemnt on there part. So yes annie will comply the ones that are innocent but how dare you mention in a way that violates us innocent to have to go through such an injustice. I am not talking about the ones that are in denial ,im talking about the falsey accused .
I guess I should start from the begaining I was abused as a child my addopted nothing was ever done he got away with it just as he always said he would. but I survived had many problems but over all I had done okay I have raised four kids and never much issues but now I have issues because of my sons girlfriend .they lived with us for three years during theat time this girls mother has done everything she can to break my son and her daughter up she has even called cps on me for running over my grandson with a riding mower her was behind me and i did not know it .he is my buddy and i would never hurt this child or any child anyway then thay called and said i sexually abused my grandson the girl told them how bad her mother was .after they moved out into a house we helped my son get my other son moved in with them .things got bad because my oldest son had an affair with the girls bestfriend no telling what those kids sees oh yes i forgot they now have two kids .anyway i kept asking if anything was going on because i know this friend of hers is crazy and stirs up all kinds of trouble anyway before it all said and done both sons and thier better halfs are no longer together and my sons girlfriend has gone back home to live with mommie but now they keep calling cps on becuase she wants to keep all her benifits she get from the goverment if she get chilod support from my son she will not get as much sp she is using the only things she can come up with and that is that i am a pervert I am sick of this crap we have a lawyer but i really do not know what is being done other than they want me to take a lie test which you really cannot use in court anyway but hey fine i will do it but it is going to costr 500 to do that so i keep trying to find other things to help
Exactly. We falsly accused get stuck with emotional stress and yes including costs for trying to save our family and our reputation
I can't help but have a terrible view of this subject. I live in Illinois, here we call it DCFS, so that will be the term I use to refer to CPS. This is my story. So far, anyway.
Last Fall I learned that a teacher had called DCFS over the following incident: My daughter was on the laptop and did not want to get off. When I closed the laptop and took it from her, she got very upset and began screaming. I do not believe in corporal punishment, so I told her to go to her room. She refused to comply, and after some time I resorted to dragging her into her room, as I saw no other way of getting her there. I did not try to hurt her, but as she was fighting me, she must have knocked her elbow on something. She did not tell me about this, but the next day she asked her teacher for a band-aid for the scratch on her elbow. When asked why she had a scratch, she told her teacher that I had dragged her across the floor, without giving her the full context. When DCFS came knocking, my first instinct was to let them in and talk to them. I figured they were reasonable people. I learned later I was wrong. Anyway, my husband looked into the matter and decided that whatever we said could be used against us, and had also read not to let them in, since once they come in, they can come in at any time to take your children. Keep in mind the laws here are different. So we refused to talk to them or let them in. Not too long after, I was greeted one morning by the social worker and a cop. So I said, this is ridiculous, I am just going to talk to these people. So I explained what happened. Prior to this, they were interviewing my daughter on multiple occasions at her school. My husband told the social worker he did not want her interviewed by herself, and the social worker said "there is nothing you can do about it" and continued to do so. He poked and he prodded as much as he could, but all he could get from my daughter was that we had left her at home alone once. So when he talked to me, he asked me about it, and I admitted that we had. The bloodthirsty caseworker was triumphant. Since he couldn't find me indicated on the original accusation, he found both my husband and myself indicated for child neglect simply because a ten year old had been left at home for a couple of hours. I didn't fight it, because I thought it was useless, but I sure wish I had appealed now, as I recently read that this is what the law says regarding the matter: ""it’s child neglect to leave a minor under 14 years of age “without supervision for an unreasonable period of time without regard for the mental or physical health, safety, or welfare of that minor.” My daughter was only left a lone for a couple of hours, she had food in her stomach, she was occupied, she had a cell phone to contact us with and knew how to do so, we checked in on her, we lived in an apartment building that was secured, and she had been instructed never to answer the door to anyone for any reason, nor to go outside. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology, and now for five years I am pretty much unemployable, thanks to the jerk who was on our case.
But alas, there is more. I don't know if there is a nosy teacher at her school or what, but now a new case has been opened, and this is what they are saying now: First of all, my daughter has been wearing sweatshirts a lot, first because up until recently, it was unseasonably chilly, and second, because she is self-conscious of her body. But in the eyes of the person who called (or DCFS, I don't know which) it's because we are trying to hide bruises from abuse!!! This is what the social worker said. The very next day we took her to school and showed them that she had no bruises. They are also saying that she wears the same clothes to school (she wears a lot of black and pink, as they are her favorite colors, but not the same clothes) and that we don't keep her clean (this is not true at all, she forgets deodorant sometimes and then she gets body odor, I tell her every morning to put it on, that's all I can do, she is ten years old and not a baby). So now at this point I am fed up with DCFS. I refuse to cooperate with people who have shown me that all they are interested in doing is finding something on me. I refuse to talk to them or let them in my house. They want to walk all over me, and that's not right. The other day my daughter had a field trip. Instead of being able to enjoy her day, she had to deal with a case worker and a cop waiting with her that afternoon as she waited for us to come pick her up from school. The cop told us that DCFS is a federal agency, and that we HAVE to talk to them, which I know is not true. The case worker told me that I was making a big deal of nothing. I said "no, you are". I told her why I feel the way I do, about last Fall, and she said "but those charges were unfounded". Really? So why after that was I not left alone, instead the case worker asking my daughter all kinds of questioned over and over again until he found out she had been left alone? I also found out from a neighbor that they came to our house, and when they didn't get an answer after knocking, they unlatched our gate, came into the backyard, and started taking pictures of our tree and our grass! I admit the grass needed mowing at the time, but really? Come on now! First, I don't see how that would help them, and secondly, I would think they would need permission to do that!
So no one will ever get me to believe that DCFS is a good organization. Not from my experience, and not after others I have talked to who have had experiences (one, who had her children taken away for no good reason, and put into the care of her father (she had not grown up with her father and did not really know him until recently) who turned out to be a total pervert, he made child pornography with her two daughters and molested them! Therapists and other qualified people had recommended that her children be put back into her and her husband's care, but each time the judge would side with DCFS, who said they should stay with her father. Turns out that her father's wife worked in the same building as DCFS, and knew the people on the case!!!
I also want to add that my daughter does not enjoy talking to these people. She has told me that she is afraid if she doesn't, they will yell at her. I don't believe for one second that children enjoy being asked multiple questions on repeated occasions about matters which do not interest them.
Also, to answer someone's question I read above (I don't recall the name) DCFS gets $250,000 (in grants) per child per year for each child they take into their custody and retain there.
in reply to mericks28's comment: first of all, you don't have to have your child taken away in order to have been treated unfairly (read my story for an example) and second of all, just because someone happened to come across this article and tell their story does not mean they are not trying to make changes (if necessary) nor does it mean they spend all of their time on the computer.
Lea Williams,
Please be careful, I am also in Illinois and my grand children were taken for no good reason and that is the truth. Maybe in Tx it is different but here they are blood thirsty. It is unbelievable to me what they have done to our family.
I am sure that there are good DCFS workers somewhere but I sure don't know that there are many in Illinois. Check out my hub, anyone that is interested and you can find facts about CPS and yes they do get money. Wow I could go on all day and weeks but it upsets me. My whole family has been altered and torn apart. I would tell my families story but it is too much for me. To be honest I had a massive heart attack a year ago last April and the Doc said it was the stress that brought it on.
Ya know Murderers Rapist and all other kinds of criminals get a jury of their peers. What do parents get in court they get... I am trying my best to be respectful but to be honest this is one subject I do know about in our case anyway. Seriously this has been a mess and a family (mine) has been altered forever and I have grand children I will never know. Being a grand parent is the most joyful thing in the world but I have a couple I will never have the pleasure of knowing or loving. This is my hubpage there is a lot of information that you can check out. (Help us Fight Child Protective Services) or you can look under my name: MarcyL04
Really just comply if you are innocent. oh yea right. Yes make us comply and sign if we dont you would get a court order and take kids away. Well if that ever happned to you all that are innocent think before you sign cuz if you do then they can come around and say well they signed and that means they were some guilt there.NO NO NO make yourself clear. when that option was said of court order. I defended myself and stated well if it comes to that then i will then get myself a representative because of what you are doing is a form of threat.In there reponse he was saying we are just concerned about your child .huh like really . Well i know whats best for my child and i never and mean never in anyway neglegted him.To explain what the accusation was ,it was about a school who reported me for medical neglect because they claimed my child was severly depressed because he didnt talk in school. When i countless of times from my first first meeting with them told them he is quiet only on school grounds and not at home and that I belived he has selective mutism .Well of course they disregarded that fact and made there conclusion before hearing me out. I also told them yes ive taken him to the doctor and was working with continuing speech therapy for him ,since he was in that before at another school and in a outside speech facility .at that meeting they continued to tell me no your child problem is mental and needs a phyciatrist. OH NO NO . I did not argue with them and i told them look that choice will be a last alternative to do as far as phyciatrist. I will consider counsling and go forward on what I have said for speech therapy becuse i know my boy and he just needs confidence in speaking with others.I myself went through extreme shyness when it came to school but outside i would talk at home and to people i felt comfortable with. I guess none of this information mattered to them cuz by the time i made plans for a refferel for counsling and speech therapy ,i received a knock at my door by cps. OMG my heart just dropped and i felt like fainting at the moment. Accusion was medical neglect!Like really. How dare the school place a charge of neglect over a huge misjugemnet on there part. I voiced to the cps guy on what i was doing already before even knowing of them accusing me since it was a suprising shock to me for them to do this to me. The cps guy was forcing me to agree for my son to see a phyciatrist.I plainly stated oh no whats the first thing the phyciatrist gonna do ,well hes gonna see my son quiet and there you go his depressed and give him some pills.I know this becuase i know my son,these adults will not have patience with him becuase it does take patience in there part when talking to my son since he will be questioned and he will be uncomfortable. I told him look this school knew what i was working with in getting referrals ,and still did not hear me out obviously. I also told him these schools best option is phyciatry becuase guess what ,they get paid for kids in there schools that are on phyc meds. It is sad that it has come to this that there focus is not in the best interest of the child ,only on wht they can gain and because they dont try to help in there part. There are so many kids on phyc meds now in these days over school systems claiming of prblems of not paying attention,talking too much,daydreaming,not talking etc. I continued to tell him have you come accross thes kids.
Well parents had claimed there child is always like a zombie and always look tired.The cps guy was all like well you are the parent and if the phyciatrist prescribed meds you dont have to give them beacuse thats your right. OH REALLY I SAID ,if thats the case then why is it that One parent for example cryed her eyes out stating that cps was threating to take away there kids if they dont give them there phyc meds. Like wht the hell is going on here i told him. Well in his respond he stated i dont know about that. He was like i just need an evaluation so i can close case. Well i told him ok the school wants an outside evaluation then ok so they can get off my back on this. Now he wrote something like that i will agree to an evaluation also stating something like i wasnt doing before. OH NO all of you innocent people before even signing make sure on how they word out there statement. Before i signed i told him look this sounds like if i wasnt doing anything before so he was like ok and he added that i was already taking my son to the doctor and working with an evaluation and counsling. There you go then I signed so read before you sign cuz wording matters in your defense. One thing though that i made a mistake on was not getting a copy of the signed form. So always get copies. Another thing I shouldve done and that goes to all of you innocent,Best thing to do is record record record your conversations. I say this because after taking my son to a phycologist yes not a phyciatrt he plaining agreed my son is not depressed and stated he has selective mutism and just needs help with confidence.Finally someone who understood my son!!!And yes i went back to the school requesting a meeting becuase i needed to speak out in my defense after what i had been through with them. And when i requested a meeting the next day i get a packet of there phycological eval from months before where in there somehow it was added selective mutism. Like are u kidding me omg this made me more upset that after going through hardship all of a sudden i get a report just now.and what a coincidednce after i request a meeting with them. Well what happend next at the meeting , the picture that my son drew in the beginging showing us side by side and with smiles at the beach with blue waters and a sail boat in the background ,where the school phycologist claimed tht because he dreww water that means he is severly sad and becuase we are not facing each other that means a lack of communication. LIKE REALLY!! WEll i placed this picture in front of the school commity and asked what do you all see in thes picture and let them know what the sc hool phycologist claimed verbally and in her report. and yes she was present there. I told them do u see sad faces do you see dark colores NO NO NO !! This is a happy kid whos problem is yes selective mutsim.I also added to the phycologist at the school why did i just get your report and yes all of a sudden you added selective mutsim ,something you never mentioned and disregarded me and hearing me out.The lady now stated she did tell me about selective mutism at the meeting. I then told her belive me if you would to mention it i would remember since im the one that stressed the possibility that my boy had that problem. So thats why i tell all of you ,when u find yourself in those meeting RECORD RECORD REDORD the conversation. I also told all of them I called for this meeting also to let you all know that please hear the parent out before making a misjugement .Which is a great problem. How sad that parents get intimidated by the school system and let them get there child into taking medications.Im glad that i stood my ground becuase who know if i would have them walk all over me, my child would be misdiagnosed and probably be taking medications that have so many side affects and yes the school would be pleased with that result since they get paid for it. I also told them even though the case is closed and being ruled out this has emotionally scarred me and damaged my reputation. theres not one day that i dont think about what me and my son went through. So before i left the meeting i told them to hear the parent out and use your school resources and programs to help the child and parent before quickly making MISJUGEMENT!!!
The above comment reminds me of another thing... I was never asked to sign one of those things, I think they are called a care plan? If I was never asked to sign one, nor to attend parenting classes, nor ANYTHING ELSE, then they didn't really think I was a threat, that's how I see it. So if I'm not a threat, how can they find my case indicated? It makes absolutely zero sense to me.
BS.. CPS workers are scum.
i have open cps asessment i need advice on the have been in my life twenty days now and the wont tell me there cerncerns about me or my wife they keep trying to force us to move from my dads house i collect ssi and cant afford to right now they have stated the aglleations anginst us the lady just let her self in my home the other day uninvited and wont tell us what we need to do to get them out of our life pleas HELP
i am a 56 yr old woman with a 14 yr old daughter..i had her at 41yrs old my other two daughters are 26 and 32..when i decided to have this child my husband was supportive and i was a stay at home mom..when my young daughter was 2 yrs old my husband suddenly died in his sleep he was 40 yrs old..i went back to school and became a nurses assistant and currently work in a nursing home..i work full time and work every other weekend..i live on a dead end street and my daughters bus stop is on the corner which is almost a half of mile to the corner..i leave for work at 6:30 am i wake her before i leave..her bus comes at 7:15..several times she missed the bus then she would call my cell phone to tell me she missed the bus..due to the nature of my job i cannot just leave..so i would call the school and tell them she missed the bus..they were well aware of this problem with her getting to the bus on time..and i would make calls trying to get her to school..many times did not succeed..well a c.p.s. worker went to her school and she was pulled from class and brought into the guidance office and was questioned by this caseworker..the caseworker asked my daughter if she was sexually active my daughter said yes..which opened a can of worms..i was aware of her being sexually active..she has a boyfriend who is her age..and his mom and i are aware and take necessary measures to educate them and even discourage them from having sex at such a young age..being his mom and myself are single moms we work a cannot be around 24/7..this caseworker was on my ass about taking her to a g.y.n. i know what i have to do i am not an idiot..so i just cooperated just wanted this non sense over..bottom line i was indicated for child abuse and maltreatment to my child..i am so pissed off..then found out that this social worker came into my home when i wasnt home and came inside without any adult supervision and came inside and questioned my daughter again and spoke of things i found inappropriate my question is..is she in breach of the 4th amendment.
 | Amazon Price: $2.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $3.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $2.99 |
Monisajda 14 months ago
Thanks for the hub. Even though you explained it in details, I am still left wondering if people call CPS just to hurt a family they don't like.