FightCPS does not advocate or condone violence or illiegal activities of any kind.
FightCPS is intended to help people learn enough about the law to be able to successfully defend themselves and their families against false accusations using legal documents and strategies that put parents in a stronger position when they go back to court.
For more information, see the FAQ.
Child Protective Services, CPS, has devastated and destroyed hundreds of thousands of families in America during the last thirty years leaving a trail of broken hearts, broken dreams, and shattered childhoods.
Rather than helping families, government agents have used unconstitutional laws in Juvenile Court to rip children away from their loving parents, break asunder God-given, natural, parent-child bonds, and adopt the children of the grieving out to others who profit financially with large monthly adoption subsidy payments.
Child Protective Services must be stopped! The law that started this, CAPTA, must be repealed. We must work tirelessly to inform the public of this very dangerous travesty of justice. We must keep faith knowing that if there is a God, there is an answer and a way to end this heartache.
Child Protective Services Agents - please come to your senses! Family destruction on false or trivial grounds is wrong, reprehensible, and inhumane.
Fosterers - be aware that for the money you get you are holding much-loved children away from their grieving families while the parents are forced to perform a service plan that is anything but a service to them. I call this hostage holding for the government. This is not kindness - to help misguided government agents destroy family relationships and break loving bonds.
CPS workers and fosterers - I ask that you now let the children of the innocent return to their homes where they are truly valued, adored, and loved by the parents God gave them.
Family rights are God-given rights. And they should not be ignored or postponed. Every moment these loving parents and children spend separated from one another is a torment beyond what anyone should ever have to bear.
It is unworthy of human dignity to allow this terrorism and torture of families to go on without saying something, speaking out, and trying to make a change.
Site mission: To provide information and support for families attacked by Child Protective Services and child welfare agents, especially those families facing false or trivial accusations of child abuse or neglect; and for researchers working to protect natural family rights.
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Fighting Child Protective Services False Accusations
September 1, 2007
This is the guestbook for September 2007.
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This is the first time I’ve spoken of this incident in my life to anyone but my husband who is the only one that has stood by me through this nightmare. My family all but called me a liar and everyone began to look down on me. Texas CPS Dept came into my home in August of 2005 and took my children from me because my exhusband called them and told them I was hitting my children. My 2 year old daughter had fallen in the kitchen and bruised her behind and that was reason enough for the government to come and take my life from me. My son and daughter were my life and my abusive exhusband was able to take them after being an absent father for so long. He does not let me have any contact with my children and the state feels this is okay for the kids to grow up without a mommy. I spanked my kids when a spanking was necessary but who hasn’t spanked their kids? My only fault was admitting to them that I did in fact spank them. I was forced to plead guilty to a crime I was not guilty of…never in my life would I dream of hurting a baby, an animal or an elderly person. I’m not that kind of person. I feel it is a true shame that is allowed. I don’t know if me getting my story out will help someone if they need it. I know I wish I had had someone to talk to when I really needed it.
Comment by Melanie — September 2, 2007 @ 2:15 pm
Melanie, I am sorry for your pain. I can say that telling your story not only will help others but someday it will help your children. Although my daughter was finally returned (I refused to sign anything from the start and altho it prolonged the case, it was to our benefit in the end), I know others very much like you. And the great thing is, many have reunited with their kids - (although it’s much later) and are finally able to tell their side. The more people SCREAM their story the more CPS will be held accountable. Keeping people afraid and shamed is what gives them power. SCREAM YOUR STORY - to the newspapers, internet, legislatures, whoever you can. Heck I even wrote the President. I am sure people got sick of hearing about me but after my girl was returned a senator in our state used my case in a senate hearing against CPS. I will pray for you, don’t give up hope. The arm of justice is long, it may take time but have faith.
Comment by Jennifer — September 2, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
I am here because i am a CASA- volunteer worker with foster children.
I want to be sure I do not just get info from social workers. I am a strong parental rights advocate and I see CASA and CPS usually judging parents or thinking CPS isn’t doing enough. I want to be sure I am keeping an open mind and reading your stories, as well as my sis in law’s experiences with CPS- reminds me of how strong the family bond is and how rarely it ever truly deserves to be ripped asunder.
Comment by CASA — September 2, 2007 @ 8:39 pm
Hello everyone. I have been part of this website for over a year. I didn’t start writing comments until my TPR trial started this July. It had a bad ending, I didn’t win. My family has gotten involved, but they are playing the same game they played with me. But, they know what I did wrong, so they won’t do the same. I just want to continue to be here to learn and hopefully lead someone in the right direction with all the things I know now. If you want more details, you can read my blog on myspace. I update it frequently.
Comment by Sabena — September 3, 2007 @ 2:44 am
I am here for emotional support. I am glad this site is here. At this time I am to sad to write my story. But just want to say thanks for just having a site like this to come to. I dont feel all alone anymore.
Comment by Wendy — September 3, 2007 @ 6:55 am
Wendy you will write it when you are ready. Just remain strong and you aren’t alone. You can mail me on MySpace or my email address if you want to talk to someone. I know how you feel.
Comment by Sabena — September 3, 2007 @ 12:10 pm
September 3, 2007
My way of handling the wrongful acts and negligence of government agency(s): was to prepare Discovery for the California Attorney General; however, it is necessary prior to presenting concerns to communicate with all appropriate agency supervisors, district attorney, grand jury, etc..once you have exhausted all local efforts, it is wise to voice your concerns to the CA Attorney General Public Inquiry Unit. My Discovery: PIU #120559. I have continued to document concerns, chronology of events, and violations of laws: for example, Government Code Section 820.21, U.S. and State Constitutional violations, etc…I have also found very compelling laws in support of parents/children whose rights have been violated. It is nice to know that people are working together to make a difference. I believe the most compelling difference, will be a class action law suit, of cumulative cases presented to the Supreme court(s). If you know anyone who is going through this or has gone through this, I recommend they keep a chronology of events of everything and everyone they communicate with. Furthermore, if they are at the mercy of the court appointed lawyers, there is an excellent case on behalf of citizen’s rights, Barner v. Leeds, that establishes that people who are awarded a court appointed attorney are entitled to the same duty of care as is they are a private clients.
Great idea, to have this website.
Comment by Shelly — September 3, 2007 @ 12:27 pm
One last thing I forgot to add, it is a matter of interpretation in regards to the statute of limitations when filing to recover civil damages for tort damages…I have researched this and I believe this can easily be challenged opening up the statute of limitations. Especially when families are being torn apart, and brutally abused psychologically and physically by the Child Welfare Services, and other agency(s).
Comment by Shelly — September 3, 2007 @ 12:31 pm
Well, I’d like to say I’m here because I’m running for president.
Of course, I’m here because I am a mother with 4 children. My oldest daughter is in the custody of CWS. She was removed from a psychiatric ward after she made a lie up. It was a mean lie meant to hurt anyone involved in her hospitalization.
She has a mental illness that is not clearly defined. She was suppossed to be in the hospital for 21 days, and was removed after 11. That was back in December 2006. She is currently in a group home because she blew out of 8 foster homes and had law enforcement called 3 times.
The sheriff’s department is not pursuing the accusations and the only evidence in the case was my daughter’s word (which was obtained illegally while she was not on meds). My daughter is 9. In this case I have been accused of Munchousen by Proxy by the absentee x. My 8 year old suffers from mild epilepsy, my 9 year old has her problems, so I MUST say things for attention.
My other 3 children still reside with me and because the 2 youngest of my 4 children are members of the local tribe, my other children could not be questioned without an ICWA officer present. My 8 year old son did not give them any information they could use against me and even told them they were wrong.
My x is in the Army and hadn’t seen his two children (my 8 and 9 year old) in over 3 years, until he was contacted in Korea by CWS. Even with all this, he still hasn’t seen our son since he was 3. They looked to place our daughter with him, even though she didn’t want him. It was all decided by CWS that she would go to him. They toured his home and the school. Then they ordered me to a psych eval to prove he was more fit than I was. They have yet to do a home inspection on me
I was even told by CWS that this was becoming more of a custody battle than anything else and I should prepare my daughter for her relocation. Apparently, the decision was made that 4 children is too much of a burden to parent well.
On August 9, 2007 the Army notified me that I was in danger because he had gone AWOL and made threats toward me and our son who is with me. He had been given my physical location by CWS. Fortunately, they apprehended him before he hurt us. He is now getting mental help from the Army and confined to base.
At this point I don’t think anyone even remembers how we got to this point but me. My daughter has again been diagnosed with issues requiring medication while in CWS’s custody. She has been placed in a new school and the group home she lives in is 2 hours from her family. She is loosing her identity more everyday.
She told me a week ago that she doesn’t ask anyone why anymore, they just get angry at her. All the advocates assigned to her case seem to have some motive other than my daughter’s well being. My family and I have been going through survivor’s syndrome since she was removed from the hospital.
My younger children (now age 3 and 4) have seperation anxiety and my 8 year old is in counselling because of this. I thank God every day that they couldn’t take my other 3 children and it breaks my heart to have my daughter so far away from me. CWS claims they are helping us. The wounds just keep getting bigger.
So this is why I wish I were running for president. I’m not old enough in 2008, but perhaps by 2012. Maybe my families suffering could make a difference.
Comment by Char — September 3, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
My husband and I have been falsely accused by my sister and CPS came to our door on friday. The allegations were really so outlandish that the worker so far seems to be on our side. Firstly, we were accused of being homeless and that neither one of had worked in years. (I don’t understand how we can be accused of homelssness and still have a social worker show up at our door, but it happened. How would she even know where to look?) So we let her in and preceeded to bring out check stubs and the like to proove that were indeed employed and the house (in a rather nice neighborhood, I might add) that she was sitting in was ours. She took pictures of our house, our refrigerator and my daughter’s room. There were no allegations of abuse of any kind but the worker still went to my daughter’s school and questioned her. There were also allegations that my husband and I sat around and did drugs all the time. The social worker saw no evidence of this but said we both needed to submit to drug tests. I am quite sure we will pass as neither of us does any kind of drugs or even alcohal. At first, I believed the social worker when she said this would be an open and shut case but after reading all these posts I’m really getting pretty scared. Is there such a thing as an open and shut case? They didn’t take my daughter on Friday, but does that mean they’re just going to try to take her at a later date? I’m so afraid–these allegations are so totally false, but I’ve read that doesn’t really matter. I know now I shouldn’t have let her in but I live in a nice clean home and I have nothing to hide. Was it ok for us to submit to this drug test even though I know there’s no possible way we can fail? Since the claims are unfounded and clearly not made “in good faith” does that mean I have some recourse? I was online all weekend before I finally found your wonderful site. I have joined but my username is not yet active. I will post in the message board as soon as it is.
Comment by Laurie — September 3, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
ihave raised 6 grandchildren 1 for 7 years he is now 13 his brother 3 years i have haqd him 2 years now then came along 4 other grandchildren from other daughter a 16 yr. old btothers 11 and 3 then i got the new baby . the plan was for me to keep baby till cps did back ground check on my x- sister-in-law which cps did not follow through with 4 weeks ago my 3 month old grand son died of sids at childrens hospital within hours of his death cps came to my home took all my grandkids without warning or reason other than to say i need to grieve, soon enough i was told i was being investigated for my grandsons death cps went to daycare center and stole both 3 yr. olds i havent been allowed to see or speak to any of them since the funeral which 1 3yr. old was not there cps said they would stay together 2 brothers 13 and 3 are other boys 16 and 11 are together their 3 yr. old brother has been seperated. cps says none of the family can see him because he is wetting his pants which he never done before dear god we are in such pain we cannot find a lawyer to help us were not rich people not to mention no lawyer will fight cps cps does not return our phone calls and are telling the children thet will never see their grandma again we been told we have no grandparents rights god help us god hear our prayers
Comment by SHERRY — September 3, 2007 @ 9:20 pm
on july 17, 2007 my whole life was taken from me.cps came and took my daughter from me . they said that there were reports of my neibors hearing my daughter screaming and crying for long periods of time and also my daughters father told the same neibors that he didn’t know where i was and i just left my daughter with him and now he couldn’t work.i tried to explain to the cps lady that my daughter was 2 yrs old almost 3 yrs old, and that she has a very hot temper,and she will through a tantrim if she dousn’t get what she wan’ts untill she gets what she wants.and since me and her father are no longer together, and i didn’t like to be around him alot,my daughter leaves with me all week long and on every saturday i bring her to her father so she can be with her daddy and so i can have a day or so break.every single time that i bring mariyah to her dad i make sure that i’m there to pick her up befor he goes to work even if i need to wake up at 5 in the morning.well on this sunday, my friend who was going to give me a ride to get my daughter ended up getting into a car accident on her way to get me.so i called my daughters father and told him that im going to be late my ride had a accident and i was going to try my best to get there as fast as i could,and if anything ask my father to keep a eye on her till i get there. well, instead he did this..he asked my neibor to watch her,cuz he hasn’t seen me in days and he dousn’t know what else to do.so she called cps.and within a time range of about 4 hours cps had already came tothe neibors house to speake to her,andi of course was unaware of all of this ,so,when i show to pick up my daughter from my neibor,she said that a cps worker had stoped by and was asking where i was and she left a card for me to call her, i said ok i’ll give her a call.as i was in my parking lot about to put my daughter in the car two police officers and a cps worker came up to me and told me that i was not aloud to take my daughter anywhere cuz she was going with them,and i didn’t understand what her resons for taking my baby ,the first thing they tried saying was that i neglected and abandoned my baby,and possibly abussed her. and right then i lost it ,i was crying my eyes telling her how did i abandon her when i left her with her father ,and look at her shes healthy,smart ,happy,clean,and you could cheack her up and down you’ll never find a mark of abuse,and i even offered the worker to go into my apartment and look at it cuz she has plenty of toys,food,clothes just please go look so you can see she is taking care of she is my life.so then the worker refused to do a walk through, and said that also i left my baby in care of some unable to provide proper care for her,she was talking about the neibors house ,she said there was alcohol bottles everywhere and she beleived the neibor was a alcoholic,and agian i said i left my daughter with her father,he was the one who brought her down their i told him to ask my father to watch her.then she said that she believed that i was under the influance of drugs and over reacting about the whole situation as a side affect of being under bthe influance, what kind of reactin are you going to expect when you go to a mother a take her baby from her and tell her you believe that the child is in immeadiate physical harm what do you think the mother is ging ti do? exactally what i was doing crying my soul out of my heart. so i told her lets go take me to your clinic or doctor or wherever i need to go so i can pee in a cup.right now,and that heartless witch looked at with a stuck up smirk on her face and said ya well i don’t think thats going to happen today,and then those stupid evil people made me put my baby in the car seat as she’s screaming and clawinh trying to keep a hold on my neck crying mommy i want byebye contigo,.i hate them so much for making me do that,its bad enough that i was hurting inside and cryingout because i knew that i have no choice but to make her go with them and i understood that they were taking her from me, then thats even worse to make me hold her down put the bent on her and tell her im sorry baby you cant come with me,and all she understand is that her mom is making her go with these people she dousnt even know,and thats all she knows even now,it’s been almost 2 months since i seen my baby,she turned three years old on august 17, and i wasn’t aloud to be there to see it,and even now ther has not been a court date, a wlk through, or evn any kind of investigation that ive herd about cps doing in other cases where they don’t take the kid even from a crack head. that really hurts not to be around my daughter,now cps said that i have to get a mental health evaluation and be on meds befor i can get any visit with my kid and i know my baby probolly thinks that i didn’t want her,or somtimes i even wonder if she’ll remember who i am,cuz two months to a 3 year old seams like years to them. if any one hes any kind of legal advise that can help me please i need it my # is 2066000077
Comment by kristy curry — September 4, 2007 @ 11:19 am
I was recently reported to CPS by the school nurse my 7 yr old attends. School had just started 2 days ago and he had an accident in his pants which went unnoticed or unreported for practically the entire day. My son after lunch was complaining about an awful rash which at this point had his bottom raw and nearly bleeding. The school nurse notified me about the situation. Now, I would have agreed to whatever suggestions she had to help him to overcome whatever problem he might have been facing, however it just turned out to be one accustion after another on the telephone and I’m assuming a lengthy interrogation on her part with my 7 yr old. She had now come to the conclusion his “rash” had been untreated and neglected for a week or so, he now gets beat up by his older 15 yr old brother; and we have terrified and traumatized him from all the horror movies we make him watch which is why he is now afraid to go to the bathroom in the dark. I can’t say enough how none of this is true other than he did develop a rash from his bathroom accident, but how could this have turned into a CPS issue? I’m so confused and hurt. Is the school nurse allowed to make assumptions and accusations without really being accountable for them?
Comment by Jane — September 4, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
I am here because my 6yr old niece has a LOT of emotional issues due to the abuse she suffered before I got custody of her at 3 yrs old.
The abuse she suffered was sexual,emotional and physical at the hands of her mother,father and a friend of theirs. The father is in prison for child rape, mother is in prison for facilitation of murder and selling prescription narcotics.
I have done everything every proffessional has told me to do and it has yet to be enough then MY FAMILY gets accused of abuse by one of the case workers! I have asked them to put her in a HOSPITAL and not a foster home but no one will listen to me.
I have called and made 3 DCS referals myself since I have had this child, called a crisis hotline on her and begged her family doctor for help.
She’s getting counciling by a professional and she’s doing weekly group therapy at another place.
The child is diagnosed ADHD, impulse control issues, possible OCD and possible bi-polar, with the latter 2 not being documented to keep the child from being labled.
The child in has lied on her school teachers,principal, counselors and nursing staff about sexual abuse.(stating they preformed vaginal exams on her daily at school)
The child has cut her 3 sisters hair 14x’s (16 yr old sisters hair 6x’s, 5 yr old sisters hair 6x’s, 3yr old sisters hair 2x’s) in their sleep (with scissors even hidden and she found them).
After the 14th time of the hair cutting I cut the childs hair extremely short (per family doctor and therapist) and now DCS says I’ve abused the child.
The child constantly lies to her therapist, when the therapist calls her on it she finally admits what shes done (i.e. watching her with her own eyes destroy items in her office, the hair cutting, the pooping)
The child held another girl down on the ground at school and tried to make a 3rd child kiss the one pinned on the ground.
The child lied constantly to her kindergarten school teacher when the teacher told her she knew she wasn’t telling the truth the child would then tell the truth.
The child put NAIR in her own hair.
The child put NAIR the next night in her 3 sisters hair.
The child at 3 yrs of age lied about a cousin sexually abusing her with a snack cake.
The child has lied and stated her 7yr old cousin sexually abused her because the 7yr old didn’t want to spend the night that the 6yr old wanted her to.
The child has lied about her 14 yr old sister sexually abusing her, this sister doesn’t live with her.(This child was sexually abused by her mothers boyfriend)
The child put dog poop in the 14 yr old sisters mouth.
The child threatened her therapist by saying she would cut her hair because she made her mad.
The child has escaladed the hair cutting to her sisters( 5yrs and 3yrs old) being awake and at knife point for the last cutting. ( I allowed her 2 sisters to hit her for cutting their hair to the scalp and they left brusies so now DCS says I abused the child)
The child poop’s and pee’s in the bed and wipes it on the wall.(but not in her panties she pulls them down to go potty)
The child lied about her 16 yr old sister sexually abusing her. ( This child was also sexually abused by her mothers boyfriend)
I am the one who reported the incident and the CPS worker and the
local police investigator are making out like its OUR fault (her 16 yr old sister, my mother and myself) she is the way she is.
The CPS worker lied to my attorney in court. The foster care case worker lied to my attorneys paralegal.
Comment by Tara — September 6, 2007 @ 12:13 am
To Tara,
I posted earlier. My 9 year old is very similar to the child you speak of. I know the kinds of lies that can be perpetrated against families. My one piece of advice is to get intouch with Your local NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) and ask for help from them. They are families who live with this everyday who have been there.
Comment by Char — September 6, 2007 @ 3:17 pm
I must first say that I am sorry that all of you have had dealings with CPS in some way shape or form, well in my town they are called ** DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY CHILDREN SERVICES** AKA DFACS.
Let me start by saying that I am a grandmother of 4, ages from 9 months to 3 1/2. My daughter had her first kids ( twins ) at an early age of 15 and then a second one @ 17 and the last @ 18. Before her last child was born I had a 2 bedroom trailer that we all lived in because it was all I could afford @ the time. Well my mom was looking for a place so I let her come and stay as well until she could find a place of her own, but according to DFCS that was a big mistake. They came to my home in the summer of 2006 and removed my 3 grandkids by saying that the kids were being neglected and also because of inadequate housing, well she had a hearing 2 weeks later and they kept the children and put them in foster homes. She was given a case plan to do and that she would go back to court 6 months from that date that they was removed. We moved out of the trailer and got a 3 bedroom house big enough for me, her and her kids. Well in december of that same year she gave birth to her son, and DFCS allowed her to keep her child and take him home because they said she had finished 90% of her caseplan. She went back to court also that month and they added more things for her to do on her caseplan, and among those things, she was told that she had to get her GED before she could get her kids back ( WHAT !!! , THERE IS NO LAW THAT STATES YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GED TO RAISE KIDS ) She attended parenting classes and completed them but they told her the place she went to was not good enough and made her do them over. In September of 2007, they came and removed her son ( 9 months old ) by saying she has not been complying with them and has not done everything they have asked her to do. Correct me if I am wrong, but where is the justice in this? These people always say they do things in the best interest of the children, but my question is HOW ? How can ripping a family apart for no good reason be in their best interest? I have been browsing the internet in search of a way to fight these people and get my grandbabies back home. I have no clue where to start. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas, please let me know. I would really appreciate anything that anybody can do.
Comment by Michele — September 7, 2007 @ 1:54 am
Please log onto the message board to talk to others about your cases.
Comment by Linda — September 7, 2007 @ 8:01 am
To Jane:
Unfortunately, any professional who works with children is required by law to report SUSPECTED abuse. This school nurse sounds like she is unable to differentiate between abuse and a child who has simply had a toileting accident. Sounds like she put words in his mouth, like getting beat up by his brother & being forced to watch horror movies. He may have been frightened of her and said yes to her questions out of fear. What she should have done is notified you to come and get him. The teachers/school employees where I live have to undergo training to spot signs of possible child abuse. I lived in fear the entire time my child was in elementary school because I was afraid that a bump or bruise she’d gotten while playing would be interpreted as abuse. (My own nightmare with DSS was before she started school.) Please speak to an attorney ASAP. I did not do this and always regretted it — like you, I was innocent and assumed I didn’t need a lawyer.
Comment by Judy — September 7, 2007 @ 11:28 pm
Thank you Sabena,,,, my children are older now, one is actually majority age which makes visiting somewhat easier. However because of the brainwashing and lies that were told we are still working on our mother and child bond. My other child won’t reach majority for 2 more years and wants so badly to come home to me. However my parental rights were teminated and both children were adopted. I do look for the sliver lining in everything about this situation or I would never be able to get out of bed. That is, I know who has them and their first names were NOT changed and I have a somewhat workable arrangement with adopted parents. So i am very careful not to tip my hand, so to speak. My minor child now realizes all the lies that were told. And is not taking this well and i am worried about the future. Minor child thought that if agreed to adoption that meant out of states care and then could come home with me. Child didn’t understand what PERMANACY really meant. And the state wouldn’t even try for reunification. will write more later.
Comment by Wendy — September 9, 2007 @ 7:00 am
Just for clarafication,,, when i wrote “their first names were not changed,” i am refering to my children… during the adoption process. thank you.
Comment by Wendy — September 9, 2007 @ 7:08 am
Hello, My name is Richard. My wife and I have been trying to fight the beast known as CPS. We have not seen our duaghter in over eight years. We have had many problems since they took our child out of our home in indiana. We miss and do love our little girl and we hope that we can see her again. To make it easier for people to have their children, I believe that the CPS system should be banned from the goverment and that the CPS agents should be tried for several counts of kidnapping and other crimes against humanity.
The thing that I hate the most about CPS is that they lie, cheat, and steal peoples children to make the biggest buck. And then they use our families against us and then they make these deals with other people and some of the family members that say that will help you. And in the long run we get screwed over and over again until they get what they want.
I have a friend that has been fighting CPS and the battle is on a every day struggle for her and her family. The CPS agents came into her home and took her grandson out of the home when the mother and herself were not home. They did not show any id and they just walked into her home and ripped her grandson out of her mothers arms and they did not even knock, they walked into her home.
We are looking for any kind of information on how to fight the system with the system.
Here is a tid-bit for all that might want to hear it. CPS changes the system to mkae their job easier and harder for us the victims to fight them. I have personally found out that they get their way every time, and they get money for ever child that they take and place with a foster home or a home with relatives. All that I would like to see is that we the victims get our children home and that we maybe able to get something back into our lives that has a meaning.
Comment by Richard Clarke — September 10, 2007 @ 6:32 pm
I want to know what state agency investigates and prosecutes DSS/CPS. The Spartanburg, SC DSS office needs to be investigated. immediately. The true criminal they don’t go after. They don’t have to have any evidence to prosecute someone only a statement. DSS instructs the accusers what to say to make themselves believabl to the courts. They encourage false accusations. They have to be stopped
Comment by A Corbin — September 10, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
well i am the mother of four soon to be five kids cps took all my kids away because of there dad doing drugs and saying i cant protect my kids. i really want to find out the answer to my question and the question is if i gave up my kids in the best interest of them can cps still mess with me if i have another baby. if so where od they get off messing with people who are tring to make a life for them self
Comment by Misty — September 11, 2007 @ 1:44 am
A. Corbin,
The FBI invistigates CPS. Some people on here have gone about it that way. Go to the FBI website. If they violated the constitution or federal laws they would be the one to report it to.
Comment by Debbie — September 11, 2007 @ 3:39 am
Misty - nobody knows what CPS agents will do because their decisions vary from case to case. I heard from a young mother a few years back. She was pestered by them when she was a teen mother and decided to give up her fight and let them adopt her baby out. About five years later when she was a young woman and ready to start a family, a CPS agent walked into her hospital room and took her baby right out of her arms without any warning. The 1996 ASFA law allows them to take children from people who have had prior TPR’s (termination of parental rights) without any reunification plan, and even without visitation. However because that happened to that person, doesn’t mean it will happen to you. But it might.
Comment by Linda — September 11, 2007 @ 7:42 am
I live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where almost a month ago CPS took my son from his daycare for bruising that he DID NOT have when I got him dressed that morning. They asked m no questions and I was not allowed to examine these markings they said I left on my son. He is four and has already lost his father earlier this year to suicide. Now he is still in some foster home and I have not seen him since that day the C”Protective”S took him. They have ruind my live and took the only thing I have to live for and for what? I am now on antidepressants and have probably lost my job that I have had for almost three years. They are filing no charges against me but I still have not gotten him back. What am I suppose to do? Hope that they wake up feeling generous one day and give him back? During the investigation, which is now over, they didn’t even speak to my room mate about any of this and she lives with me!!! Can anyone help me? I’m lost! If anyone in OK is going through this too please email me at anya2626@yahoo.com Maybe we won’t feel like the only ones going through this!
Comment by Anya — September 11, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
I am warning you, this is VERY long. I have tried since this began to completely block it mentally, but I still have a lot of feelings and a vengeful mindset about it.
Three years ago, a year I’ll never forget. Wearied from our moving and transition from the US Army, myself and my wife decided to settle into my home town in a county that was found out that my relatives owned about a tenth of and had tremendous legal and political pull in.
While in the military there was several accounts while stationed in Germany with my wife and newborn daughter that reports were being made on us saying that our daughter was severely neglected. These of course was always false.
On August 19th we had a knock on our door in the little quaint town of Rose Hill, North Carolina. It was the department of social services for the county of Duplin, and they were very demanding. Upon answering the door after we thought they were trying to break into our house from the loud beating on the door (of course we didn’t know who they were at the time), I invited them in, having nothing in the least to hide. Of course they tried to use the “we have a deputy ready to come out if you do not let us in” trick, but that didn’t matter to me.
Just after being invited in (at this time we had 3 children, the oldest was a girl, and the youngest two were boys, the youngest was about 6 months old) the “lead” lady looked on the floor there where we had laundry neatly sorted ready to be washed and yelled, “This is a suffocation hazard!”.
Leaving myself and my wife dumbfounded there at the back door she streaked into the living room and yelled again as she picked up an empty cigarette butt (that fell out of my pocket as I smoke outside and instead of littering the yard I place the butts in my pocket for later delivery to the trash can) and yelled again, “This is a choking hazard! Oh my god!”
It was then they saw our youngest son sleeping on the couch in his little rocker chair. The “lead” lady again snatched him up, waking him up of course, and naturally he started crying. Still limp from sleeping and drowsy the lady, Ms Jones, insisted that something was wrong with him and that he need medical treatment. After we told her he was already receiving treatment from bone problem in his neck she immediately insisted it was from neglect and walked outside with him, to my surprise where I found my mother waiting. After insisting and nearly physically fighting the lady to give the child back her “partner” was loading up the other two in my mother’s car. They left faster than I could think at the time as everything was still in one big swirling motion. All three of our children had just been removed from our home, a loving, caring environment for no apparent reason.
Thirty minutes later we receive a phone call from Ms Jones, and she states, “If you want to ever see your children again, you will be in my office at eight AM tomorrow and you will cooperate”.
Still with a lack of speech, we agreed to be there.
The next morning, arriving thirty minutes early, we are escorted inside by four sheriffs deputies. Ms Jones hands us a document and says, “Failure to sign this paperwork will result in jail time”. I have never been to jail, never been in trouble with the law, and there were four deputies hovering over our shoulders. Reading the document there were 3 sections that drew my attention that the lady refused to comment on:
1. We surrender our children to my parents.
2. We surrender legal rights to our children to our parents
3. We will continue to provide financial support to our children.
4. We waive our rights to trial to forgo and bypass criminal trials.
After signing the document, Ms Jones yelled out the door for another worker, she came in and quickly notarized the document. We were refused a copy of it.
After six weeks of calling DSS/CPS on a daily basis to get hung up on, reality hit and depression started to settle in and impeccable timing to also find out that we were going to have our fourth child. What was really odd was no more than eighteen hours after we found out, so did DSS, to our complete surprise and confusion to how they found out. So much for medical privacy.
during this time, my mother and adopted father refused to speak to us. Our calls to them as well were hung up on.
At that point in time there was a decision made by myself and my wife, in order to protect the future of the family unit we utterly had to do everything with planning for the child in private. We did. We did not call DSS during this time, and their calls and questions about our unborn child was in return hung up on. At this point I was contacted by my biologicial father living in Florida, NC. His information that he divulged to me was one of the largest reliefs we had. It would seem my mother was very skillful at gaining a child, running off with the child and keeping the parent away, as she had done my biological father. According to him, when I was 2 weeks old, she left him, and disappeared. One year later, she had the court systems declare me abandoned by my father and hours after that decision my adopted father had adoption papers ready.
My bio-fathers advice was to contact family on my mother’s side, as they would understand and my not be on my mother’s side like I had originally anticipated. My first call was to my grandmother. She sighed with relief and went though a very big “spill”. She stated that she had heard enough from my mother, how she had meticulously planed the entire ordeal, had her social friends whom worked at DSS make the official decisions and doctor paperwork, and that she, my grandmother was willing to do whatever it took to help.
It was 2 days later, my grandmother called me back and said she had been threatened for talking to me, also stating that the DSS had told her that she was unable to have any contact with my children now that she had contact with myself. She had also been cut off from my mother, so my source of information was now deminishing. My second call was to my aunt (Mother’s sister) whom had also been in contact with my mother. She explained very quickly to me that she had no idea what was going on other than that my mother and DSS was railroading a young couple whom had very little money. She said she had seen the kids just after they were taken and were in perfect condition, and that the story that was being told to her was that my youngest son was on the brink of death from neglect. She said that one of my mother’s doctors labeled my son as “failure to thrive” which was total horse shit and failed to ever comment on our other two children. She then said that she was at our service; any information she could gather to help, she would and would not let my mother know so.
After still, repeated times of hanging up on my mother and DSS as their “greeting” would consist of, “How is the baby doing” talking about our unborn daughter, we finally got a deputy to come out to our house with papers. WE HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO COURT! Actually I was very happy, I mean I had fought for our freedoms and fairness in the Army, how could our “justice” system betray me now right?
Our induction to court was them finding out that we could not afford an attorney, and they happily appointed one for us! I, however was very distraught to find out that my attorney was my adopted father’s family attorney. This was my first hint that things were trotting down the wrong road. As I asked for another attorney, the judge’s comment to me was, “Beggars cannot be choosers.” so I left in stride.
To spare some more detail and meetings at DSS that consisted of my mother lying, DSS lying, and me about to go into SF Ranger mode and just slaughtering everyone in the building…. Lets not go there as it was only a thought at the time he he. We quickly ended up in court, were the trial lasted three days. Just before the trail I was given the best piece of advice that I could have ever come accross from my bio-father, “Get the hell out of that county, pack your bags, move, settle into Wayne county where your grandmother and mother’s family lives”. We did. On the first day of court, the workers RAN to us, as the manager of the worker said, “You guys moved?”
I smiled and said, “Yep!” The other worker said, “Why did you move, where did you move to?” I replied with, “We don’t live in this county any more”. Both of the DSS ladies look like they had seen a ghost. My mother overhearing that also turned white. Inside the courtroom, the judge looked familiar but I just couldn’t place him. There were several of my adopted fathers “buddies” that showed up to the hearing, one of them appoached the judge and said something to him very friendly like, and I remember the judge saying, “I cannot talk about that now.” Then Mr. Matthews, my adopted father’s friend said, “Well, we will talk about it at lunch then!” as he smiled and walked off.
The entire hearing consisted of DSS talking and my wife’s attorney and my attourny talking to a judge that was whirling around in his chair staring at the ceiling. Finally my wife’s attorney stated, “Your honor, I move that this case be transfered to Wayne County, the proper jurisdiction of this case.” He just laughed at her and said, “What would make you think I would do something like that.” She said to him, “Because the law says you have to being they no longer live in this county.” He too turned white. Mind you this is now the third day of this case, he states to us that he can do nothing more than “adjudicate” the case, which he did, and said the findings of:
1. Abuse
2. Criminal Neglect
3. Medical Neglect
Was substantiated. I had no doubt this would be the findings after Mr. Matthews had spoken with the judge as he did.
Here is how it was substanciated. Abuse, I have no idea, as he provided no reason at all. He said neglect was founded on the terms of what the DSS worker said she found, and medical neglect was founded on the fact that DSS had no ever spoken with our children’s family doctors for medical records or immunization records which they had. Also he also took my mother’s doctors words in as “evidence” where the doctor outright said in his letter myself and my wife were “Mentally retarded”, which we are far from according to IQ tests performed after the hearing, and also stated that my son’s neck condition that he was born with was a result from us leaving him laying down for long periods of time. However just after that statement he said he had a back condition in which was resulting from leaving him “sitting up” for too long.
I remember the testimony of the DSS workers in detail, and they are heart wrenching. I can only ask that any reader prepare themselves for what they are about to hear.
Myself and my wife are no neat freaks by far, however we do pride ourselves in a CLEAN envornment as I do not tolerate conditions that are deemed unsafe.
The worker that got on the stand was the first worker to enter our house. She stated that there was fecal matter smeared all over the kitechen floor, dirty dishes on the floor, table, stove, and sink, dirty diapers filled the home, and dirty clothes filled the home to an unsafe standard.
My wife’s attorney quickly bit hold of that, by asking the lady again, “There was fecal matter smeared all OVER the floor in the kitchen?” The lady said, “Yes it was so bad you could barely see the color of the floor”. Then her attorney asked, “Where were the clothes again?” The lady stated, “All over the kitchen floor”. Again, the wife’s lawyer said, “And was it bad enough to be called a suffocation hazard as your report says?” She then responded, “Yes it was piled so high it was like wading though a child’s ball pin.”. Her lawyer quickly said, “Ms Jones, if the clothes were piled that high, how on earth did you ever see the fecal matter you said was smeared on the floor?” Ms. Jones had no reply as the county attorney “I object your honor”.
She then went into a spew about the dishes saying they were everywhere as well, again the attorney asked her how the dishes were piled, she said everywhere. The wife’s attourny then asked why she didn’t document the piles of cloths as a pile of clothes and dishes. That was objected to as well and sustained. Finally the diapers was brought to light as the attorney asked her specifically “how many diapers did you see?” She stated, “about 5 or 6″, and basically said it was found in one area of the house and did not and would not specify they were in the trash can (diaper genie).
The second worker got up that our attorneys summoned, an actual friend of mine from high school that had come out that is usually an interpreter for DSS. He stated flat out in the court, “There was nothing wrong with their home, it was neat and tidy, and as I asked them then, I cannot see how their kids were ever removed”. The judged immediately dismissed him from the stand and I overheard the head lady (Mrs. Elva Quinn) outright tell him, “You are fired, go box your things, you had better be out by close of business”.
My hat still goes off to him. He did a bold and daring thing by standing up there and stating truth and he was repaid by a slap in the face by his supervisor. As she said, “close of business”. The ironic part of that is, DSS is just that, a business. The more children they take away, the larger their department can be, and the more the supervisors get paid. At least in this state, North Carolina.
After the hearing was done, the judge saying what he did, they had no choice but to let Wayne County “follow up” where justice would finally be served in the way it was intended.
On several instances, we had DSS from Duplin County DRIVE UP to our house in Wayne County and demand to enter to home, where we very zealously told them to go to hell. When we finally heard from our new worker, we thought she too would be like the ones in Duplin County. She, Marry Cogdale, called us and sounded just as abrupt as the workers in Duplin and said she would get back to us after she reviews our case.
Two days later we were contacted, and she said she would be at our house “shortly”. Five minutes later she arrived, smiled and introduced herself to me as the new worker. She was very vague in what she said but I remember her telling us, “I have another court date setup for you.” We took that with stride thinking that this would be a mere repeat.
A couple of weeks later she told us that she would be setting us up for visitation with our children and gave some really strict rules that we had to follow such as, “Do not speak with your mother”, and “I am arranging the visitation in our county, under no circumstances do you enter Duplin County to visit your children” etc.
It was until a while later she told us that the case she was handed was the most bizarre case she had ever seen. She said that from what she read, our children should be dead, not still living healthy and as strong as oxen. Mind you this is now 9 months after we first had our children removed.
She also divulged more infromation to us, such as persons in Duplin County being fired including Elva Quinn, and also the Judge being removed from his position in the court circuit. Finally she sat us down, and explained to us that we were not bad parents, despite what we had been brainwashed into believing. She went on to tell us that we had been railroaded and we needed to console in my grandmother and aunt that had been by our sides since we first contacted them.
It was the first day of court in Wayne County on July 14th. At the very starting of the hearing, the female judge had a “bench” conversation with the attournies in which my wife and audience could not hear. The judge then said, “For privacy reasons I am ordering everyone to exit the courtroom for this hearing.” My mother was in the audience and started yelling, cursing, and screaming at the judge! I was very surprised that the bailiff didn’t just cuff her right there, which would have given me a lot of satisfaction.
The judge looked at myself and my wife, and said, “I have seen your case files, I have heard what Duplin County has to say, and I have also seen what the court process you went though was like. I have spoken with your attournies already and DSS attournies. They are all in agreement that your children…. be returned to you effective immediately. I am in one hundred percent, complete agreement with this and will not stall another moment. ” She looked at the clerk and said, “I need an official order written up right now awarding custody back to these parents.” The clerk looking very, lol VERY confused, my wife’s attorney said, “Give me the letter head, I’ll do it”. My wifes attorney writes some legal things down on paper (Which we STILL have the original for) and the judge signed it, and had the clerk notarize.
My wifes attorney (LOL) looks at the judge and says, “Your honor, who’s going to tell the…. *pause* grandparents?” All attournies are looking dead at the Judge. She looks back at them and says, “Well I guess I have to huh?” I’m about to cry for joy and laughter litterly right now as she tells the bailiff to let everyone back in.
After everyone enters and settles down the judge says, “Mrs xxxxx, please approach”. My mother steps up to the area where we were all standing, and she says, “To bring the court up to speed, I have awarded custody of the children back to the parents. You, Mrs. XXXX are to have the children ready for delievery in Wayne County in no less than 5 hours with all of their belongings at the described place on the order”. My mother started again cursing, yelling, and calling profuse names. The judge actually still smiling looks at my mother and says, “Mrs XXXX, how does it feel to be rail-roaded.” as the bailiff has hold of my mothers arms carrying her out of the court room. After she leaves you could cut the silence with a knife, then you hear my mother and her family outside of the court-room yelling at the bailiff and the Wayne County DSS workers that went out with her and would mediate the change.
On that day we regained our children, our family, our happiness. As I think back I can still remember that Duplin County DSS hovering over us about our unborn daughter like vultures waiting for the last bit of life to leave an animal before feasting. This is one of the most horrific experiences I can imagine happening to any parent. Before this, I really thought people whom were mixed up with DSS must be bad people, people whom didn’t care for their children. Now, after having my own experiences, I have realized the hard truth and presence of corruption in our own protection and legal systems. It is very sad when I think back to this, but I feel it necessary to keep things from ever reoccurring again.
On our last day in court, we were explicitly told never to enter Duplin County again. We have not and never will, even on a matter of life or death.
The really sad part is DSS has so much power, they are not and cannot be held accountable for these mistakes. Only the lowest of their employees are ever held accountable.
Comment by Michael W. — September 12, 2007 @ 7:21 am
Thanks for telling us your story, Michael. I’m sorry your mother would do such a terrible thing, but happy your children are safe at home with you where they belong. This story tells us how easily DSS can be used by corrupt people to harm families unfairly.
Comment by Linda — September 12, 2007 @ 8:13 am
I am also seeing that its a money thing too Linda. It seems that cases are more fabricated in rural areas than they are metropolitan areas as well. The DSS in this county has a program that is county run, basically where community members RUN the department. When we were first assigned to this department in Wayne County I remember them having to present the case to these community members. We then left the room while they had their little hearing about it.
Because of that, and since living here, we have had a LOT of false reports in which the workers came out, laughed and left LOL. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t but 5 months ago our oldest daughter broke her arm while horse playing with my eleven year old cousin (girl). Again horse-playing. A report was made to DSS about it, claiming that our daughter was slung up against the side of the house. Being a bit wiser, I had the doctor explain when they were doctoring her up, ON PAPER how her arm could have broken the way it did..
It reads,
“XXXX XXXXX’s ulna and radius suffered trauma to the wrist portion of the hand indicating a falling nature where the subject tried to flail and stop a fall at an unnatural angle in which inhibited the compound fractures. It is my professional opinion that the fractures were caused by the child falling and not due to neglect or abuse.”
When they came out, they received a COPY of that letter and went on their marry little way. If this had happened in Duplin County, I can tell you now, I would be in jail.
Comment by Michael W. — September 12, 2007 @ 9:23 am
My daughter, Dawn, had her baby girl taken away from her before she could even leave the hospital. That was in Jan. The only explination that we get is that the nurses saw Dawn watching cartoons, and didn’t think it was right, so she was reported to the Human Resources Dept. at the hospital, who in turn contacted CPS. They keep telling her that she has to do certain things to get the baby back. She does them, but then they come up with something else. Her boyfriend is an alcoholic and a drug addict. Dawn said to the therapist yesterday that she was tired of her boyfried always drinking, and doing drugs and that was going to kick him out. But, the CPS case worker told her that she couldn’t. He had to be in the home if she wanted her child back. Dawn was also told that he’d get the baby before she would. This does NOT make any sense! Do you mean to tell me that CPS would give a child to a drunk/drug addict with a police record before they’d give her back to my daughter who has always been clean? We just don’t know what to do anymore.
Thank you for listening.
Comment by Beverly Humphrey — September 12, 2007 @ 9:43 am
Parents are loosing their kids left and right all over the USA, even in Canada. You have to get angry and fight back. If a person is raped and never tells anyone about it, the person who did that to them goes on and does it to someone else Speak Out! Let people know about it. Do NOT let them get away with what they are doing. FIGHT BACK !!!! Stand on your RIGHTS!! You and I, we all have Rights, USE THEM !!!.
Comment by Patricia Ellingson — September 12, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
hello my name is sarah. I am here because my children were taken from me april 2005! I was accused of neglect, mind you this was all here say. before a full investigation my children were ripped from my home. I was and still am so scared ! my babies are my world. Now after mor than two years and having completed everything the social worker wanted me to do my children are still not home! In fact by telling lie after lie and making me out to be some kind of monster in front of the judge , they were able to terminate my parental rights!!!! I dont know what to do nobody belives me nobody will listen to me!!!!!!all I want is my precious babies home were they belong. they are now in their third foster home , they have been bounced around so much im sure they feel like nobody loves or cares about them and this kills me inside! I love them so very much , but they wont allow me to even speak to them to tell them! would someone tell me how this is protecting a child? this is torturing a child!!!!!!!! does anyone have any edvice for me? I will do anything to get my children home anything!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by sarah zinser — September 12, 2007 @ 10:05 pm
My friend had her newborn taken from her when she was in the hospital. The father of the baby is a level 3 sex offender, but he took a risk acessment evaluation and was found to be of no risk to kids. But dss still thought he was a threat. And when they found out that he was at the birth they went to the hospital and took that baby right out of her arms. I understand the concerns that are out there about the sex offenders but when there is n evaluation done that says of no risk then i don’t see why her baby can’t be with her. This is a story that i should tell the whole thing and then people would understand. I just pray for her that she gets that beautiful baby boy back.
Comment by dona — September 13, 2007 @ 3:38 pm
NEED ADVICE!!!
Well this is the first time i have ever heard of this website it had been a very long year with no one to turn to i thank God to whomever thought of starting this it is sure nice to see i am not the only one going through this!
Well here is my story… I have three children and was married to a physically and mentally abusive man…One day i realized enough was enough and slowly but surely got myself out of what i knew as my reality at the time which was surrounded by his control and manipulations…i had been with this man for 9 years since i was 17 years old it was all i knew and all my kids knew was him and his reality which became ours it was sad yet very real for us…i saw mine and my kids souls dying…after years and years of abuse i saw my sons face when he punched me in the back of my head where i went falling to the ground and saw the terror in my boys eyes was when i realized id rather be killed by him than to stay another moment in that nightmare.. and many many times during the transition of leaving for good which took about 2 months i was convinced i was going to be killed by him but i knew my kids deserved a better life…i got us a house had my divorce started got a protection order, which anyone who has been in my shoes knows its nothing more than a piece of paper to these guys and the cops really cant offer much help in this aspect unless u are dead pretty much probably due to the high volume of dv, so he stalked my every move became more and more mentally unstable due to his drug use along with his bipolar disorder i continually called the police to no evail i lived every day in fear fear for my children and for myself..And on my birthday in june of 06 he came into my home took my children…i called the police thinking FOR SURE due to his mental unstability they would get my kids and bring them back to me and that he would be violated for breaking the protection order….no such thing..they said because their was no parenting plan in place it was ok for him to have them oh boy did i regret not getting that in place before all this happened its a mistake i live with to this day..well my daughter was in school the next day so i raced there just min before he had arrived to pick her up (the school called me and informed me of this they were fully aware of the situation) i got her and held onto her for dear life she never left my sight and the school thank god said they would call the police immediatly if he came on the grounds…My boys however were still in the home with him so myself my mother my grandfather and my daughters school councelor all called cps informing them of all the dangers they were under when in his care..about a week and a half later i go to get my daughter from school and i am greeted with some teachers from the school notifying me that my daughter was removed by a cps worker they gave me her business card…as i walked out the door i was calling her..4 hours later she called me back informing me that they took the kids after inspecting his home and to meet her that monday..that it was no big deal and it would be resolved quickly..Mon came i went to the cps office met with her she told me she was very concerned for my safety and the safety of my children because of his actions and what he had told her she told me her concerns regarding me were that he told her i drank to the point of passing out he had locks on doors to their rooms and asked me why i told her that i didnt feel it was an appropriate thing to do to them and i would never have them locked in their rooms when he was not around (when i was living in that home that is) remember by this point i had my own home and the kids each had their own rooms with no restraints what so ever… i told her that yes towards the end of his and mine relationship i did drink quiet a bit but my kids always came first and i did not feel it was a problem once i had left the home she then tells me she has no doubt i cant take care of my kids that she thinks i am a good mother and that the only reason they are holding them is because of my ex mental state of mind..she then said i do not want u to feel u are being victimized again and respected the fact that i got out of the home despite it all she said she would meet with him the next day and i would have my children home asap…2 WEEKS LATER after calling her EVERDAY asking her where my children were she leaves me a voicemail saying where my kids were and that i could go visit them supervised..i than call her right back she finally answers and says oh i bet u are upset i said oh yes very much so why do u still have my kids and she has the nerves to tell me that she went to my exs had him sign over rights to my kids for 30 days i asked her why she never bothered to inform me she said well Dawn he is a parent to i was OUTRAGED!!! But by than it was all to late…i called the ombundsman service called her supervisor called attorneys called every where i could think of and no one would even bother to listen to me because by now it was an active dependancy and if i just followed through with their wishes it would be resolved in no time..her supervisor was the one who had to finally call her to have her call me back so i could find out why they took the kids from ME!!!She said they believed i had an alcohol problem and that i was unable to protect my children!!! My ex was a phyco, who could have protected them what could i have done to protect them more if i didnt even have proper support when i did reach out for help! They never once came to my home and looked at my house never once gave me an opportunity to defend myself against the allegations made against me HOW WAS I THE NEGLAGENT PARENT! Never the less his actions wound him up in prison a month later when he was arrested for having drugs and stolen guns,I figured for sure since he was out of the picture i would have my kids back but no by then i was on my 2nd cps worker and i was the one proving myself fit to be a parent i had to take ua’s 2 a week, get a drug and alcohol assessment it said i abused alcohol but was not dependent, had to see my kids supervised 2 times a week for an hour, go to domestic violence victims counceling, pay child support, see a regular councelor,parenting classes, family preservation services came to my home for almost a year.. i missed out on my daughters birthday the fourth of july my kids started calling the foster parents mom and dad they totally messed up my kids lives way way more than i ever would have! All the small little memories of their ever day lives that i will NEVER get back! I did this for 4 months with my daughter she was returned home to me when i wouldnt give up i told them that either they find me neglegent as a parent regardless of a parenting plan because the fact is they never took my kids because of me they had to prove me unfit because i did have my daughter at home living with me they could not so she was returned home…I got my boys back that december…my case is now days away from closing i have complied with EVERY service possible i have gone through 3 cps workers 3 GAL 3 lawyers and nobody really knows to this day the whole story of it except the original cps worker that filled this case against me…if i would have kept that same cps worker i would not be here now because she would have had ALOT of explaining to do i think but who knows maybe not with all their power! What is the goal of cps? To take the children only if the children are in harm and danger that their lives may be compromised if they are not removed! They should have helped us to help me gain my strength up after years of abuse not rip us apart so my children could endure more pain! They wake up in the middle of the night even still and make sure they are home because they are afraid they will never see me agian they do not and did not understand why they had to leave their mommy I DONT EVEN REALLY KNOW WHY! Never the less i have a job working with disabled adults i have been their now 3 years and every 3 years they run a background check well i was called into the office 3 days ago explained to me that i have “founding for child abuse and neglect” on my record! My employer immediatly called child protective services and asked them why it is on my record the lady they spoke to said oh it looks like it all steams down to her ex husband it just says that Dawn was an “absent parent and was unable to protect her children” and to call the assistant supervisor and let him know that it is a “unclear administration assessment” i called him got no phone call however had my current cps worker(soon over thank god) and the assistant supervisor told her that i need to write him a letter asking him to review my case and explain to him why it should not be on my file he than will call olympia and have it over turned…this to me sounds like a very lengthy process.. mean while, i am under 24 hour supervision i can not be alone in the same room with any of the people i care for it is sad and humiliating and for what!!! ANOTHER MESS UP!!! anyway i am asking peoples advice on where i should go with this i plan on trying to get a lawyer to take my case and see where it goes from their…This has been nothing short than a nightmare and i feel for any families who have had to endure this type of pain and agony and for the children who will be forever changed because of this! Please give me some advice on what avenues i should take here i feel it is a completely injust system we have here……Thank u Dawn
Comment by Dawn W. — September 14, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
@Patricia Ellingson:
Thats the very purpose of this site in a way I think. Also to bring something to light here that I thought I might share.
With having a powerful family background, that usually gets me into places I don’t belong, like talking to political figures and such.
On the phone with John Edwards himself, I’ll quote what he said:
“The DHCS* is one of the most powerful organizations in our nation. It is one of the only organizations that is not under our checks and balances system; the people whom make the rules and procedures for this organization is them, themselves. This is one monster that is unattackable. DHCS does not answer to state legislation. They do not answer to federal state legislation, they do not even answer to your governor or the president himself. They are an independent branch of government that has been completely unchecked since they were started.” ~John Edwards
Mind you after that comment he went on a spill of why he should be voted for president too.
DHCS = Department of Human and Children Services (CPS).
Comment by Michael W. — September 17, 2007 @ 10:23 am
Oh yeah Dawn, get an attorney…
When we first got our paid attorney (by my grandmother) the first response by CPS here in their “meetings” was “You cannot bring an attorney here.
He he… My attorney told them, “He can bring me to the bathroom when he takes a shit if he wants and if hes paying enough; you cannot legally tell anyone they cannot have an attorney present.”
Its a quote, it was crude of my attorney but the point is clear, don’t let CPS convince you not to get an attorney or that it will “make your case worse”… IT WILL NOT.
I remember mine asked me when my grandmother hired him… “Why in the hell did you ever left cps in your house to begin with”… My response was “because I had nothing to hide”… His response “there is nothing to hide from them, they are like sugar aunts on a cookie; you cannot see the sugar, but they will find every grain; Then exploit it.”
This is very true and the best bit of advice I can give.
Other than that, call your local legislature, and tell them to reform DSS.
Comment by Michael W. — September 17, 2007 @ 10:48 am
I need advice on my current situation concerning CPS in Wake county NC
They have not allowed me to see my two young boys for the past six months and there is no abuse or neglect since the case began over one year ago.
Comment by Alfredo Aguilar — September 17, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
I was a Foster Mother for 4 and a half years…in that 4 and a half years 16 children where placed with me, through a Christian Agency…. I also was raiseing my little daughter as well.
Needless to say, after the experiences I went through with some of the public accusactions,,, I will never be a Foster Parent again.
I had a little girl I fostered for 4 years, I got her when she was 7 months old…..
I had to take her to visitation with her mother at a drug rehab. for two hours, every two weeks.
And every two weeks she went over night for visitation with her father.
The case worker had discussed that their might be possible sexual abuse, But, they were’nt sure and they where invistagateing…. and I would have to make notations of what the little girl would say to me. And then report it to the case worker.
From the very beginning, I had reported the little girl had a bad yeast infection and irretation each time she would come back from her visit… and I would have to take her to the Dr. for Medicatation, the irretation would go away till the next visit….. and the same thing would happen again.
I had made a suggestion to the case worker that I did’nt think it was wise for them to let the little girl go back to her dad for visitation… But, they said…. she had to visit him….
Well, one day after a visit she had a bad irretation when she came back and I took her to the Dr…… he gave me Medicatation to apply and I also told him I suspected her father was fondeling her…..I told him I had reported this numerous times to the agency…. But, they still sent her on visits.
Well, to make a long story short… the Dr. had told me to let her run nude around the house , for a short time as this would help her heal….which I did.
I had to go to the store so I put some butterfly shorts on her, with wide legs… so the air could get through.
She was sitting in the grocery wagon and I guess she had her little legs spred some , and someone who was checking us out must have been looking up her short leg…..
Because, a couple of days later… I got a visit from CPS…. I guess she had gotten my name and address off my check…. The
allegations the CPS women said, were the person who called them suspected me of Child Molesting this little girl…. I was dumb founded…as well as shocked…. I could’nt believe I was hearing right….
As I would never do such a horrid thing…
Any way after I talked with the CPS worker, and told her what I had been reoprting to the agency and about my suspesscions of the little girls father…. and about haveing to take the little girl to the Dr. after each visit…etc.The CPS worker said she would have to get in touch with the Foster Agency Supervisor and CPS would have to investagate me…..
Then the next day the Supervisor from the Foster agency came out to my house and questioned me…. and she had already knew about my notations about the Father long time back….
Any way, she told me don’t worry about the allegations on me, she knew I never would do such a thing…. and that she would have to put me on 6 months probatation. I was really upset about the whole situation and told her she could just take the child and place her with another foster parent….. as I did’nt think I wanted to be a Foster parent any longer…. after such aqusatations.
She pleaded with me to not take it personally, and pleaded with me to keep the child and remain a Foster Mother…. she said, I had been a good Foster Mother and she did’nt want me to resign…..
After much discussion, I agreed to stay on….
But, I had decided I no longer wanted to be a Foster Mother after all this was over…. and I told her so.
I was an innocent person…. and I could’nt believe this was happening…
To be honest, I would not encourage anyone to be a Foster Parent….. as these things happen all the time, false accuasuations, of child abuse etc. when you become a Foster Parent…. from the public…
If I had known, I would never ever had become a Foster Parent.
That accuasuation, could have ruined my life……
Thank God nothing came of it!
So many people are accused of wrong doing….. by the public and they call CPS , and make false accusations, misconstru actions they see, make false reports to CPS of abuse, neglect etc. and are put through a liveing hell…..
And innocent people have their lives torn apart, and in a lot of cases ..have their children …torn from them… and famileys torn apart.
And whole familys hearts broken, and little children are
the ones who suffer the most…..
CPS is a horrible goverment agency, that should be put out of buisness…..
As I am well aware of, many horrible things do happen to children, and there should be another way to put a stop to this, Because CPS is not doing the job it is suppose to….. it is too busy getting involved in false accusations, to take care of the real cases of abuse, neglect and etc.
And those are the cases we read about in the papers……
When CPS was first founded, it was suppose to be a service to help keep familys togrther, and provide help for familys in crises.
And only get involved with real abuse, neglect etc. cases…….
I know someone who had CPS on them, because the child had gotten an earach and the parent had called for a Dr. Appointment, But, the Dr. could’nt see the child till the next day…
In the mean time the child had a counseling apointment, and so the Mother took him for his appointment..the counsler called CPS and reported the child had an earcah…..
The next day the child had gone to the Dr.and was treated.
Several days later, CPS showed up and you know their routene…..and they had an investagation…. over a simple earach.
Children get earachs, and most of the time it is because wind gets in their ear, when they are playing….it is very hard to make a 7 year old boy wear a hat…. because the wind is blowing…..
When I was growing up I use to get earachs… and my Mom would put drops in my ear, and it would stop. She did’nt run to the Dr. every time I got an earach……
Another situation where CPS was called, two brothers 7 and ( where scuffeling, and the 7 year old booped his brother on the forhead with a little plastic handle, and left a nickle size bruse…. he had a counseling appointment that evening,and the counsler called CPS and reported the nickle size bruse….CPS went out to the parents house and demanded to see the child, of course the child was in school…{ it was several days later that CPS had gone out there.}
There where 3 CPS workers, and
they went up to the school and questioned the children, took pictures, examed their bodies for more bruses{ of course there were no other bruses} questioned the office people at school, about the children, went to the church the children attended and questioned the people at church, about the children, and then did a full investagation …. of course the case was close after 30 days.
A nickle size bruse that his brother gave him while they where scuffeling…. put them and their parent through all that…
Another case, a Mother had just moved and she lived a way from the Grocery store about a mile, and she had to ride the bus to go shopping, as she did’nt have a car.
She had forgotten to buy suger, and she had started to make a cake for her little girl, and she realized she was out of suger….it was the little girls Birthday… she did’nt know her naighbors….. But, she decided to go across the street and ask the lady she had met, if she could borrow a cup of suger, till she could get to the store…. and she explained she had started to make a cake and it was her daughter’s Birthday…. the woman said, she did’nt have any suger…… and shut the door.
Well to make a long story short, a week later CPS knocked on the door and said, they had gotten a complaint that they did’nt have any food and they where starveing…..and of course child neglect accuasions…….
Of course the CPS worker checked the Ref. questioned the Mother, and said they had to investagate.
The Ref. did have food in it as well as the pantry…..
But, that is’nt the end of it, a week later another CPS worker came and the same accusations…. this time he was informed of the other one. So he left…….
The following week a social service worker appeared at the door, asking if they could help the Mother with food stamps……..
The Mother told her she did’nt need food stamps and that she was the third person who had come to her house…. because of a cup of suger……….
The Mother knew who had made the report, as she was the only naighbor she had talked to.
When I was growing up, I had heard that was how people would get to met their naighbors…. by borrowing a cup a suger…..
Don’t try that today…. you may wand up with CPS at your door… with aqusatations that you are neglecting your children……….
And if you are sitting out side on your steps with your kids, and they are playing…. you may get evicted for loitering and threatened by the landlord of calling CPS…. because your suppose to be inside your Apartment and not loitering…..
These are real things that happen to real people……
Pretty sad, is’nt it?
People are being terrorized every day, threatened with CPS…. and the people who should have CPS envolved because of real abuse, neglect and etc. get over looked…..
Where do you draw the line?????
People are useing CPS as a means to spite people, ex’s trying to spite each other, and some well meaning people call CPS because they don’t have the real facts and only go by what something may appear to them……..
People have been brain washed to call CPS for every little thing…. and many innocent people’s lives are being torn apart by CPS……
But, most of all, it is the children that are being hurt by this agency…… who claims to be a service to familys……..
Who has the power to take your children from your arms….. to drag them from their beds at night, to disrupt lives and put them in Foster homes where there are worse things that can happen to them…..
There are many good Foster Parents….. But, the system has failed the children…..
Children should remain with their familys….. and their parent or parents…..not with strangers…. who don’t love them……
Comment by Dottie Hashman — September 18, 2007 @ 12:34 am
Dear Dottie, your insightful comments have mirrored what TRULY INNOCENT PARENTS experience with CPS.
In their zeal to stamp out any and every scintilla of *child abuse* they have come close to killing children.
This agency must be held accountable.
Trouble is, the “Whores of the Court” need this bankrupt agency to keep their J_O_B_S. 70K attorneys in my state, too.
Comment by Fern — September 18, 2007 @ 5:48 am
I am a student majoring in Criminal Justice with the specialty of Youth Services. Next year I will be getting my Bachelor in Social Work. I just happen to come apon this site and sort of can’t believe what I’m reading, but then can. I can understand how and why people are against CPS and social workers (as it seems these two words/phrases are being used as the same thing). But at the same time - there is something you all are forgetting - the good that CPS and social workers are doing. Some children need to be taken away from their immediate family, you know, when they are being abused.
I am sorry for the families that go through the hardships of being falsely accused. But isn’t better for a few families to go through the pain and hardache of being falsely accused then CPS and other social workers not investigate possible cases of abuse? Think about it.
Comment by Heather — September 18, 2007 @ 7:47 am
Heather, I hope you plan to stick around and read all the answers you get to this. My answer is that ONE family falsely accused is criminal (on the part of the accuser and/or caseworker). But the sheer number of families attacked with false accusations signifies a far more serious, insidious problem. These people are being railroaded in juvenile courtrooms where they don’t even have Constitutional Rights honored, but they lose their children, who are more dear to them than anything else. Many also lose their jobs, their homes, and some, even their health.
If you plan to make a career in Youth Services, please be aware of what’s going on. True child abuse of the type that CPS was first created to address is rare. That’s why they are making mountains out of molehills and tearing families apart for trivial reasons - to keep their jobs and stay busy. CPS was a jobs-creation program. Now thousands of people are employed in CPS related jobs, and they all need their money, so the system churns on with children as the money-makers.
Do you think it is okay for children to be traumatized for life because the social welfare department needs clients?
Do you think it is okay that criminals in criminal courtrooms have Constitutional Rights but that parents in juvenile courtrooms don’t have the right to face their accusers, the right to a jury, the right to a public trial, etc?
You mention real child abuse cases. Well yes, there are a few. And those should be handled by law enforcement officers. Real child abuse is a CRIME. It always has been, and that’s how it was taken care of before CPS came into being. If a judge decides a criminal should stay away from a child, the judge can order it. We don’t need CPS social workers meddling in families and tearing them apart.
Comment by Linda — September 18, 2007 @ 8:02 am
Heather you stated “But isn’t better for a few families to go through the pain and hardache of being falsely accused then CPS and other social workers not investigate possible cases of abuse? Think about it.”
Think about this if you were one of the few families to go through the pain and hardache of being falsely accused how would you feel? My child was not abused but now is by the system set up to protect her. (psychologists opinion not mine although I agree) What your saying is it is child abuse is okay if it is done in the name of protection. No sorry! No child abuse is “good” in the home or done by cps outside of it. My daughter will carry the scars of what what happend for the rest of her life but what your saying is that is okay since they abused her to protect her. There is something wrong with your logic. It is not okay to abuse some kids in order to protect others.
I know somebody now an adult who was taken as a teen and placed in foster care for 2 weeks because somebody called in saying her step dad beat her. He didn’t she told them that yet was still taken away. Now as an adult she is afraid to even mildly discipline her children because of what she went through. She rarely even corrects them for doing wrong. In her mind she belives the state will come take her kids for any little thing she does. That isn’t good for these kids and not for her either. Taht one 2 week trip through foster care scared her so bad, caused so much pain, was so traumatic, that 15 years later she still isn’t functioning as she should. Now would you like to feed her your line and ask her that question? Yeah it’s great that somebody is out there to protect kids that need protection it’s not great when they turn something little into pure hell and make a bad situation for the kids.
Comment by Debbie — September 18, 2007 @ 8:57 am
Recently, a college student and Mother of a 2 yr old boy was sentenced to 60 days in jail for attempting to protect her son from ongoing abuse from his father. The mother kept her son from visitation after noticing numerous bruises on the child’s body upon his return from his father’s. Son even returning with an injury that required a full leg cast. This is not the only time a suspicion of abuse has been noticed. There had been numerous reports filed, all unsubstantiated. A Guardian ad Litem was appointed early on. Unfortunately, there is a problem with this; she had not seen the child in over a year. Her recommendation was for the child to be remanded into foster care. Her reasoning for this, simple, she didn’t know. She didn’t know if there was any abuse, but she did suspect the child was in danger, either from the father or mother. What? The mother? Yes, there was a theory that the mother was causing mental abuse for filing the charges and taking her son to the doctors. But with Indiana code, failure to report suspected abuse could lead to a Class B misdemeanor.
So, what’s going on here? Could it be that there is a little corruption going on? Could it be racism, because the mother is Hispanic? Or could it be that the father was a former police officer from the county this was held in? Either way, the mother is without her child, and the father has temporary custody. Yes, the father, who had numerous abuse allegations brought against him, has custody. While the mother sat in jail worrying about her son. Now, after this mother is out of jail she waits for the Judge to rule, while she is waiting the case worker at the CPS office has not turned in the reports to the court. So the court is under the assumption that nothing is going on-while her son keeps arriving to supervised visits with bruises, bug bit(he is allergic to these), welts, diaper rash-his skin peeling off. When she brings this to the attention of CPS that the reports need to be sent to the court. The CPS worker is offended. What the hell is going on with this system when the Judge does not want to hear the mother’s evidence and has to wait until she goes to jail to be able to tell him what is going on. Then the Guardian Ad Litem is allowed to withdraw verbally twice and then to act like she is still on the case. CPS does not want to deal with the case-even stating to the mother that she subcontracted out because she did not want to get involved. Not get involved-wait isn’t that their job? But when the subcontractors started noticing the child arriving with bruises and the way the dad acted they then told CPS to do something-they did -they took back the case. And have not been noting any visible incidents on their reports.
This mother was given the option by her former attorney to leave the country. But this mother chose to stay and fight because she did not want to take her son away from her family and the community that loves him. And did not feel she needed to run-why? She has not been harming her son.
So the truth will set you free. Yeah, after you spend 60 days in jail for trying to protect your son. Then she spends another several months having to do supervised visits while your son shows up with physical and mental trauma.
Thoughts, prayers…
home_mijo -at- hotmail.com
Comment by Den — September 18, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Dear Heather,
May I suggest that your college instructors have done you no favor in not informing you of the backlash which has existed against SS agencies since 1975?
If parents are truly abusing children, it is a crime.
And it is very hard for experienced parents to take parenting tips from someone without children.
You might wish to read “Whores of the Court” where a Ph.D clinical psychologist details the flimsy standards extant in Family Court.
While you’re at it….take a look at the Constitution and USSC holdings.
Comment by Fern — September 18, 2007 @ 12:01 pm
heather I don’t belieave socail workers are protecting children. the ones truely needing to be protected usally are not the ones that end up in care. and the ones that are in care are not protected in care often. it’s not okay to mentally abuse and emotionally abuse children over false alligations
Comment by Christy — September 18, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
Heather,
What if it’s your family being falsely accused of abuse that did not occur?? Would it still be “Okay” to faslely accuse you in the name of “protecting” other children who are abused? My 16yr old niece had to be admitted to Charter Lakeside because she wanted to end her life because of the false allegations.
How would you feel if it was your child?
How would you feel if one of your children commited suicide due to false allegations? Would you be promoting the horrid institute you are promoting now?? I would hope and pray to God that you open your eyes and not be as most social workers- drones feeding the economic system created by STEALING children from good homes.
Comment by Tara — September 19, 2007 @ 9:08 am
I just want to say that after 5 months of my children being in foster care I finially got them home on sept 6th. I did everything that they asked me to do. My husband is still doing everything. I still have to play there games by attending consoluning every week. They where suppose to be returned to me on sept 16th, but because of my pressure to have them removed from a foster home where i knew they where being treated badly the case worker finially saw it and had a emergency return to me. The case worker i have now is not to bad. He has actually helped us out. The first one on my case was a real jerk, he was on a big power trip. I just want everyone to know that i went through hell and back to get my kids back. I did all the stupid stuff that they wanted me to do. But i am very luckly because i have a great case worker now who actually cares. It took him from the time he took over my case in the end of july till september for me to get first longer visits then non supervised visits to getting sleepovers to having them home in time for school. There are good caseworkers out there. But there are also bad ones. I know and we live in Oregon and oregon has mre corupt people then anywhere. My thoughts go out to everyone who has their kids taken from them for unfounded reasons. Even though i have my kids home, i still am fighting for my husbands return. The caseworker i have is helping too. He has meet with us last week and says he will do everything to help us. He even has told us that it will be no longer then the second week of november before our family is completly back together. I believe him because he told me the same for my kids returning home and even got them home 10 days sooner. I know that we still have a long road ahead of us, and i want it to be over. I just want parents to remember to fight everyday and never stop. I was told that i am a very aggressive person by my caseworker when it comes to fighting for my kids. I told him that any parent who wants their kids home with do the same. So never give up! Find out everything you can on your own. I fought off every allegation with information. And also if they have foster parents who you feel are not good for your kids fight that! I taped recorded every conversation i had with my kids foster parents whenever i picked up or dropped my kids off. It saved alot of the she said they said stuff. keep records of everything you do. Everything! That helped me in court. Never give up! Fight for your family and let your kids know that you fight for them everyday!
Comment by angela — September 19, 2007 @ 7:38 pm
hello, my name is amanda housel.i live in somserset county. i thought this place was a pretty crooked county, but its more crooked than what i thought.in April of this year my daughter told my huzband a shivering story about how her step mother has touched her in the wrong places… my daughter would only trust him for some reason.but when he told me i died inside. i then told her caseworker at cys…it was never investagated. back in 2002. cys had took my daughter for 6 moths, due to the alligation that i was yelling at her.. she was only 4 weeks old…she slept and ate that was it…. they then took my daughter to foster care. evryday i cried i felt like i was loosing my mind… i have missed everything i was looking forward to seeing her do . (get her first tooth, roll over, anything that i wanted to see her do….i went and got an attorney and got her back. when my daughter was 10 mths old her father left her in a car for 2 hours in 19 degree weather. and hit me when i was holding her, so we broke up,my best friend at the time was sleeping with him. i wasnt sure, but i had the feeling, anyway those two got together and really damaged my daughter… i got her back last year and she had an adult hand print on her rear end… so i turned it in to cys and said i wanted something done about it, and my daughter said to the caseworker that the step mother spit in her face, and the caseworker asked her if she told her dad, and she said yes, and she said my daddy said that if i wasnt bad she wouldnt spit in my face… the father has refused to give emily her medication. and has refused to put her in her car seat when being transported…. so i took it to a lawyer.. mind you i have to send emily to her fathers every other week
and emily is petrafied of her step mother,,,,,, i have had emily’s fathers friends come up and tell me what has been going on at thair house, and its so bad it keeps me up at night. i have nightmares, and now it has developed into panic and anxiety….
here in july after i have told the caseworker about emily’s story about being touched in the wrong places, then turned it around on my huzband..whom i know would never do anything like that,,, he would never even bath her, because he knows how the step mother lies and puts emily through hell….. and i have takled to the investagator on the case,and cys had told me emily was touched i was well i can never explain the feeling that i had. but you feel worthless. i can explain that. but whenn i talked to the investatgator and told him that cys said emily was touched. he said that never happened. i dont know about you, but i hope noone thinks bad of me but i was thinking of taking my own life..but then i thought of emily..and i couldnt do that to her, she is my life.but anyway i am suing children and youth and the attorney for not doing thair jobs.Also i am pressing child endangerment on cys and the attorney and emilys father and step mother, ia m sick of my daughter being abused…they lock her in her room and threaten me infront of her, (the parents) and also have a friend follow me, video tape my house (daily) and went around my neihgbor hood telling all my neighbors that my huzband and i are child molesters. they have called my lawyer and even had him withdaraw from my case, (emilys father, and friends) there is a court order that emily be exchanged betewwen her father and i on a weekly basis..and he broke the court order and also lied to the child support officer,,, and i dont know what to do, but i am doing what i feel is right.JUSTICE FOR EMILY…..PLEASE WRITE BACK AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK MY COMMENT ON THIS SITE IS THAT,,THIS SITE IS GOOD FOR THOSE WHO FEEL THEY ARE ALONE, AND WANT JUSTICE FOR THAIR CHILDREN. THEY ARE OUR FUTURE…. IF ANYONE MAY HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ME CONTACT ME A.S.A.P. I WOULD GREATLY APPRICIATE IT, FOR THE SAKE OF MY DAUGHTER,,, SINCERELY AMANDA HOUSEL,,,, PS NO ONE FORM THE CYS AGENCY HAS A SOCIAL WORKER LICENSE… SOMERSET COUNTY CHILDREN AND YOUTH(SOMERSET COUNTY)))) THANK YOU AGAIN AMANDA HOUSEL
Comment by amanda housel — September 20, 2007 @ 6:05 am
Hello Everyone,
I am here because I am doing research on CPS.
My story . . . .first, my ex husband is an attorney in Pike County Kentucky.
The social workers refused to investigate him. Now me, thats another story.
Well, there is no investigation. He filed an domestic violence petition against me for begging in public for money to buy my son’s medicine because the county attorney would not prosecute his friend, and fellow attorney for child support.
After nearly a year, I staged my own protest, while at the same begging for money.
I was convicted of domestic violence by a judge who had multiple ex parte communications with my ex husbands attorney. (It took letters to the KY Supreme Court to get a new judge who then vacated the order).
CPS investigated in 4-2006. But never wrote anything up.
Then in October 2006, they first unsubstantiated the claims of medical neglect that I had the children protesting while they were sick. Then the VERY NEXT DAY. The substantiated the claims which they had unsubstantiated the day before.
They also substantiated in such a way that it looked like I had multiple substantiation of neglect on multiple occasions. They claimed that there was an court finding of neglect. Of course, that never happened.
Of course, THEY NEVER CONTACTED ME ABOUT IT.
Then in March 07 my ex put online that I was a child abuser.
The records given to me show that sometime in December CPS destroyed the hard copies of everything. (Can you say violations of federal law).
I requested, and recieved a findings letter in March. I had my CAPTA hearing in May. I finally got my name removed from child abuser database in August.
Needless to say, I am very angry. But lucky for me, I worship a God who promises in the Bible that everything done in secret will be revealed.
Good luck to everyone out there. I know its hard to go through all of this. I am still on supervised visitation because the Judges in the case refuse to set a hearing on custody and visitation since Feb. 07. Truth always prevails. Sometimes, its just a long battle.
Comment by Amy Mischler — September 20, 2007 @ 11:48 am
This is to Heather in the comments above,
You stated that you are in a criminal law justice program. Then you know that our criminal legal system is based on the philosophy that its better to let ten criminals go free, than for one innocent person to imprisoned.
CAPTA, the federal regulation which governs CPS is a constitutional violation of the sixth amendment which guarantees a jury trial.
Moreover, under your theory its better for a few families to be falsely accused; its your contention that its better to take ten children from the homes of innocent families and place them in foster homes where they have a substantially higher chance of being murdered and sexually molested, than to let one child stay in a home where they abused.
Comment by Amy Mischler — September 20, 2007 @ 11:59 am
i read the prayer requests, and i pray foy you all.these are some pretty horifying stories… I THANK GOD, BECAUSE IF I WASNT FOR HIM, I WOULDN;T BE HERE….BUT SOMETIMES I JUST WONDER WHY. THEY SAY GOD NEVER GIVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE. BUT MOST OF THE TIME WELL ALL OF THE TIME SITUATIONS LIKE THIS ARE…….. KEEP YOUR HEADS UP… I AM THINKING MAYBE I SHOULD GET EVERYONE WHO HAS THESE PROBLEMS AND HAVE THEM PROTEST WITH ME… NOTHING ELSE SEEMS TO WORK. AND MAYBE WE CAN START OUR OWN SERVICE, SHUTTING THESE PEOPLE DOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD WHO IS WITH ME? !!!!!!!!!! PLEASE COMMENT BACK PS IA M NOT CRAZY, BUT I AM FOR JUSTICE FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN AFTERALL THEY ARE OUR FUTURE.
Comment by amanda housel — September 20, 2007 @ 12:47 pm
ALSO I FORGOT TO COMMENT TO BRITTANY….I WAS 17 WHEN THEY TOOK MY DAUGHTER FROM ME FOR 6 MONTHS.I DONT KNOW HOW I GOT HER BACK BUT I DID.AND IT HAS MENTALLY SCARRED ME.. THANKGOD TO THIS SITE,BECAUSE WE CAN HELP YOU. WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME I HAD NOONE,THEY TOOK ME FROM MY MOTHER, AND PUT ME ON MY OWN. BUT I MADE IT, AND I MUST SAY JULIE IS RIGHT,DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO, GOD GAVE YOU THIS BABY FOR A REASON. TAKE IT AND RUN, BECASUE YOUR GONNA BE LIKE ME. I DONT KNOW THE BABYS DAD, BUT MY THEROY IS TRUST NOONE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT BABY.NOBODY CAN CONQUER SOMETHING AS PRECIOUS AS THAT. I AM NEW TO THIS BUT IF I FELL SOMETHING CAN HELP U, OR SOMETHING ELSE, LIKE I HAVE EXPERIANCED THIS. JUST LEAVE A COMMENT FOR ME.. YOU AND YOUR LIL ON E ARE IN MY PRAYERS.. ALWAYS AMANDA
Comment by amanda housel — September 20, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
I just found your wonderful site and i’m so relieved. I’ve felt so unbelievably alone over these last several months. They accused me of beating my grandson two months after he fell and cut his chin on the stares outside my apt. They came and took my 2 youngest daughters and placed them with my X husband. They know i didn’t beat the baby as i have a crippled right arm but my worthless public defender forced me to plead no contest to a lesser charge which i never should have done. I have a website that details our story and how it happened and why this cop has a problem with me. I need help bringing the girls home. I fear for the girls emotional well being if this continues on any longer. our website is at
http://community.webtv.net/MsThang65/RobertaandCharlotte
I haven’t updated it since before my last court date as i’ve been busy and i finally got my rela computer online and i’ve been working on it most of the time. To be honest i just don’t know what else to say. The only thing i can add is that the results of the psyche eval came back and they lied and said i spent 3hours with the doctor and the results were that i had serious issues. I only spent 15 minutes with that doctor and i one of those tests that you fill in the bubbles with a #2 pencil and they ask over and over if i feel like hurting mysellf or anyone else. Please! I’m not a moron! I know better than to believe that they got the result they say they did. I desperately need an attorney to help me file a lawsuit and possibly an appeal. Who is the State Legislator in my area? I live in West Sacramento, Yolo County, right outside of Sacramento.
Comment by Stacy Zuercher — September 24, 2007 @ 3:10 am
To find your legislator use the form on this page: http://www.fightcps.com/articles/legislators.html
Comment by Linda — September 24, 2007 @ 8:29 am
I am so sorry that y’all hate me when you have never met me. In your eyes I am a kidnapper and a hostage holder, all to profit from holding said hostage. You bet the payments I make are worth the heart ache and pain I feel for MY children. You bet that sometimes the system screws up. But not all the time. Some people should never have children, much less be allowed to raise them!! My soon to be adopted childrens’ birth mother left them home alone at the ages of 4 and 1; failed to feed them and bathe them, brought her johns home around her children and possibly let them use her children also. To top it all off, she did drugs while pregnant with the children, as well as around them, giving them contact highs. So, do not EVER assume that I am holding these children hostage. I am protecting them because someone other than their mother had to the good sense to be concerned around them!!!!!!!!! Thank god!
Comment by Abigail — September 24, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
I am a grandmother of 2 granddaughters ages 8 & 10. I am 53 years old and healthy. CPS took the kids from my daughter for good reasons and has put them in foster care with strangers rather than with us. It is a long story but where do I start with fighting for them?
Nadine
Comment by Nadine — September 24, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
“CPS workers and fosterers - I ask that you now give up these unworthy professions and find something more dignified to do with your lives. Let the children of the innocent return to their homes where they are truly valued, adored, and loved by the parents God gave them.”
The above quote is what I read when I first came to this site. I have come to this site to learn more. You see I am a foster parent (I know that makes me VERY unpopular around here). I an not here to be confrontational in anyway, I just want to understand.
Based on the statement above I am curious….where is it that you think these kids should go if not to foster homes? I understand that parents are sometimes falsely accused, I also think that many times parents could work services in their home while the kids are still there. But sometimes this does happen and the parents STILL don’t/won’t/can’t provide a safe place where these kids aren’t getting hurt.
Sometimes a baby is born addicted to drugs and mom bounces around from house to house living with whoever and can’t really support her kids because she spends her money on drugs and her kids can’t read because mom has never made them go to school. I don’t feel that this is really a case where mom should keep the kids while she tries to work a plan (and I imagine most of you don’t think that either).
This is where my question comes in. Based on the statement that I posted in the beginning. If this is such an unworthy thing that I am doing by taking in these kids and you are asking me to find another profession (BTW, I don’t feel this is my profession) then where is it that you think these kids should go? Stay at home with drug abusing mom? Or do you feel we should go back to the days of orphanages?
I am just trying to understand. I have actually learned a lot from coming here. I am a mom myself and I truly feel for each bio parent who loses their children. I do my best to update the birth parents at visits and always bring new pictures of the baby. I understand these are their kids and it must be very hard on them (even if they did make poor choices to do the drugs and live that lifestyle in the first place). They are still people and I don’t think it is my place to judge them, just to take care of their babies while they can’t.
Again, I know I am not probably a person you would want to see around here but I just want to know where else you would want your kids if not with foster families?
(I also want to say that I COMPLETELY understand that MANY of you here have had your kiddos removed for silly reasons…..those cases are different. It’s the kids that REALLY should be removed that I am talking about. Where should they be?)
I’m not here as “the enemy”, I just wondered. Thanks for any replies!
Comment by notOK — September 25, 2007 @ 8:48 am
I know a few foster parents and truely they do fight for the kids they take in. They also tend to get a little p.o.ed when they get a kid that shouldn’t have been taken away placed with them. Personally I feel that there are some horribly abused kids out there that do need protection but those cases are so rare. I find less fault with the foster parents most the time than I do with the social workers. The problem I see is that when social workers for cps see they have a house to place a child in they find a kid to feel that space. Sometimes even if that child really didn’t need to be pulled from the home in the first place. I think sometimes they take advantage of the foster homes. Like having an open home means hey I can pull this kid before I have to, I have a place for them. By not being a foster parent and having less foster parents out there they have less places to put kids so more stay put and only in the worst cases will they remove the child.
Obviously the fact that your here tells us something about you. You question things and look for both sides. You probably aren’t in it for the money sounds to me like you might actually care not all foster parents are. You must be one of the rare one that do care.
Comment by Debbie — September 25, 2007 @ 11:20 am
I just wanted to giver my regards to all thoes being harrased by the damned c.p.s I have been investagated be them 5 times since my son was born in jan. of this year and low and behold here there are knocking on the front door everytime I have been investageted they dont even get through the front door and they are telling me the allagations are not substanchale Im so sickof seeing them I could screan and the bad part is that the rights of the reporters are (portected)!which I think is stupid so I send my love to all that is being harrested
yours truly
Sick of being harrested
Comment by Amanda Tolliver — September 25, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
It’s been almost two years since my grandsons were fraudulently conveyed by Berks Cty Children and Youth into Foster care. I have not seen them once. I received only 1 phone call the month after they were taken. I stopped writing as I have no idea if the children ever see my cards or letters. I have been considered a completely UNSAFE resource for them by BCCYS because of the following website information I had posted. Bottom line – THERE IS NO HELP AVAILABLE TO GET OUR CHILDREN BACK! Has anyone taken notice that this NATIONWIDE PROBLEM has NEVER been addressed by ANY Presidential nominee? (For that matter - by ANY political nominee!) Has anyone ever seen front page media coverage of protests in Washington or elsewhere covering this issue? Any articles printed in the New York Times, Time Magazine or Parent Magazine? Any hot topic for talk shows, reality shows or CNN? This will NEVER HAPPEN FOLKS! Too much at stake for the powers that be. We can complain, and possibly get people removed from their position(s) but like all good cockroach infestations, another one will fill the void while our families remain distraught. The latest news from the Foster Family of my 2 oldest grandsons is they wish to adopt only one. The other boy has been diagnosed with “transitional issuesâ€. WOW! There’s a revolutionary statement. I’m 48 and I STILL suffer from nightmares of them being taken. Did I mention that my daughter gave birth last Christmas to another grandson whom BCCYS took immediately out of the hospital and placed with an adoptive mother who OPENLY CLAIMS SHE DOES IT FOR THE MONEY? BCCYS claimed that since they wouldn’t allow my daughter to have her older children then why should she have this new child? The best part…she had to have criminal background checks done for a job. Low and behold she has NOTHING AGAINST HER!
If you want to know when you will see your children again – take the number 18 and subtract the current age of the child at the present time. This will be your answer – in years!
The following is a copy of the website for which I was deemed an UNFIT GRANDMOTHER!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Please view the National Petition http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/611431472?ltl=1152550939
Also visit http://www.bringkevinhome.com
I AM LOOKING FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THEIR FAMILIES DESTROYED DUE TO THE UNLAWFUL ACTIONS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH!
If you are a parent that had their child removed due to drug addictions, alcohol addictions, true abuse of any kind, perhaps it was for the best, and although I sympathize with you, please do NOT REPORT these types of stories to me. Thank You and I wish you a healthier life!
These children whom I adore more then life itself were literally yanked from their biological family by Berks County Children & Youth thru lies and DISINFORMATION (deliberate misleadings). They were immediately placed in a Foster Care Home thru Coby’s Family Care, based out of Lancaster. They are being adopted out to this family in a matter of only six (6) months. These are children whom I had in MY care and whom I had a CUSTODY CASE STILL OPEN for when they were removed. I was told by an intake worker (whose name I am FORBIDDEN TO USE, or they have threatened me with a lawsuit) for BCCY that I absolutely could NOT take the children across state line (from PA to NJ when I relocated to accept a promotion - a statement also made to other people involved in this case), nor was I allowed to return the kids to their mother, who lived in Berks Cty. I was told to bring the children to the courthouse and DROP THEM OFF at the front steps after calling their office! Are they INSANE? THE BOYS WERE NOT EVEN DEPENDENTS OF THE COUNTY AT THIS TIME! I was living in PERRY COUNTY then!
The man whom I rent from in NJ was undergoing a renewal for Top Secret CLEARANCE with the Dept. of DEFENSE! Any intrusion into his personal affairs would have postponed this clearance a year or more. Anyone with any knowledge of this procedure knows that a D.I.S.C.O. clearance check looks into every nook and cranny, from ears to toes of anyone remotely in contact with the applicant’s past and present life. I did not wish to jeopardize this man’s job, not to mention my own record, by facing possible Kidnapping Charges. October 31, 2005 I gave the children back to my daughter until I could get situated and figure out what I needed to do to bring them to live with me. December 5, 2005 BCCY removed the children from their school and home (Andrew from his school on his Secret Santa Shopping day; Gabriel from his home - having been yanked out from under his bed screaming that he didn’t want to be taken away. My daughter and her husband both stated that this woman who came into their home laughed during the forcible removal of the children. This woman also had told my daughter that “this event would not be psychologically upsetting” to the 5-year old that they yanked from underneath his bed, where he was hiding. My custody case was postponed and eventually cancelled as of December 23, 2005 due to the fact that the state took over custody.
I immediately contacted BCCY the next day and asked why the children could not be with me. I was told that NOW that the children are dependents of the state that NOW I had to comply with their policies and “Present as a Resource”. This means State background checks for Child Abuse, Criminal History and also an FBI clearance for everyone in the home - including my LANDLORD! (I rent the lower half of a duplex). To this date I STILL do not know how to get my FBI clearance check done and BCCY has refused to offer an answer other then to contact my local police. I went to the police in Birdsboro, PA and also in NJ. They had no idea what I was talking about. The officer in Birdsboro tried to tell me Children and Youth doesn’t require FBI checks! My state checks, as well as those of the people I live with, were returned immediately - CLEAN! BCCY refuses to acknowledge my landlord’s employers affirmation of his FBI clearance - they want copies! IT’S NOT AVAILABLE EVEN TO HIM! THIS IS CONSIDERED CLASSIFIED INFORMATION - but that is not acceptable to Berks County! I am being penalized for having friends that are TOO CLEAN!
I have tried to solicit aid from two attorneys. Both have told me that BCCY is so corrupt it is ridiculous. One attorney said she doesn’t even know why she is practicing law anymore due to the corruption level. She stated that she couldn’t in good conscience take my money. She advised me that NO ONE wins against CPS - they are basically “immune” from law suits. WHAT A COMFORT - at least she was honest - that’s a rare one these days. The second attorney stated that employees of BCCY itself have called her anonymously with “stories of what goes on there”. When I made the comment that I felt that BCCY was guilty of trafficking children she said “It’s NOT THE FIRST TIME”.
I sent emails to 49 Senators with no reply. I have contacted the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Associated Press with no real interest. I have sent emails to Larry King, Bill Mauer, and Oprah - a TOTAL WASTE of time I realize but thought I’d give it a go anyway. I have contacted the State Board that oversees the activities of the separate Children and Youth Agencies. After several weeks of telephone conversations leading no where I was able to have a meeting scheduled with “all the key players” in Berks Cty. I attended the meeting only to find out it was cancelled that morning due to the recent flooding. Imagine. I was able to get from NJ to PA without any trouble yet the man representing the state couldn’t make it there from Allentown? Did I mention that NO ONE BOTHERED TO INFORM ME THE MEETING WAS CANCELLED AFTER I WASTED ANOTHER VACATION DAY, TIME AND GAS? ALL PARTIES HAVE MY CELL PHONE NUMBER WHICH I HAD ON MY PERSON. Gee, thanks for the consideration fellas.
I have been denied any and all communication from these two children. I was told at Christmas time that the boys “Had everything they could possibly want and need” and that there was “no reason to send them presents” by the case worker at Coby’s Children and Youth. The one and only phone call I got from them showed Gabriel had resorted to complete “Baby Talk”. Further reports indicated that both boys suffered from bed wetting and nightmares - TRAITS THAT NEITHER DISPLAYED AT ANY TIME IN THEIR LIFE PRIOR TO THIS HORROR. ALSO TRAITS EXHIBITED BY SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN!!
I have only recently been given permission to Write to the boys - IN CARE OF BERKS COUNTY CHILDREN AND YOUTH so that the content can be monitored! BCCY claims that it never told me I couldn’t write to them yet at my written request, no address was ever provided. NOW, six months later, after getting the State involved, I was sent a letter stating that I could write in care of BCCY. My proof that the children will ever see the letters will be … WHAT? Who will be “monitoring” and what will be eradicated from my letter? The part that says I LOVE YOU?
Did I mention that children of ethnic backgrounds are listed in Coby’s Family Care picture album as Children with SPECIAL NEEDS? HELLO? Let’s list the black, Spanish, Asian children who maybe truly NEED homes as Children with SPECIAL NEEDS to lessen their chance for adoption. My grandsons were placed immediately - gee - they were white, VERY well mannered little boys. Instant placement!
WHERE CAN THE AVERAGE CITIZEN TURN FOR HELP? The FEDERAL government? Yeah okaaaaaay. They create laws they do not follow themselves. Is it any wonder the corruption is at such an escalated scale in the lower levels of office?
Why did my father fight in WWII to stop a crazed dictator from polluting the world, when his own blood legacy has been erased thru lies, propaganda and greed of the government he so proudly represented?
CAN ANYONE OFFER ADVICE?
Sunday, July 16, 2006
CPS - THE LOSING BATTLE
I BELIEVE I HAVE A MUCH CLEARER INSIGHT INTO WHY I HAVE MET WITH SO MUCH OPPOSITION AND FRUSTRATION IN THE LOSS OF MY GRANDSONS. Please review the following documents particularly the last two links. This is a crisis happening on a much larger scale then I imagined and is affecting thousands of children’s lives, not to mention the countless family members on the sidelines. In one sense it is good to know that I am not just fabricating scenarios in my mind and becoming an old bitter woman. My suspicions are VALIDATED. Unfortunately, I wish it WERE just me. Please become acquainted with this horrible process so that perhaps YOU might be able to save some other child and/or their family members from the utter desolation that my family has undergone. It is my hope that someone somewhere will manage to keep their family intact because of my efforts as well as that of others who have suffered as I have. I am not alone.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND CONTINUED SUPPORT!
http://www.fightcps.com/
http://www.massnews.com/past_issues/2000/5_May/mayds4.htm
http://www.fightcps.com/articles/bountypayments.html
http://www.avoiceforchildren.com/documents/taking_over_your_case.htm
posted by April Burks @ 6:55 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Dear Brave Elk and Red Fox –
Your Great Grandfather fought bravely in WWII for what he believed in. He was a good man. I will fight the war with CYS for what I believe in. You are good boys. Both brave and wise. I love you more then infinity. Someday we WILL be together again. I know that my grandsons may never see this page but it will remain online in the hopes that they will one day KNOW that their Nanny never gave up hope!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
THE RESULT OF THE PROMISED STATE INVESTIGATION
Well, as I expected, my supposed “investigation” by the State Department of Public Welfare, into my allegations was NON-EXISTANT FOLKS! When my daughter and I arrived at the office of Berks Cty. C&Y, we were ushered into a tiny room with members of BCCYS, their attorney, and the most miserable example of an investigator I have ever met. Mr. Brian Waugh, the man surely paid well to make people such as myself “go away”, opened the meeting with an apology for not making it to the last meeting due to the flooding in Allentown. (A meeting I was never informed was canceled and which I managed to attend despite the fact that I was coming from another state). Mr. Waugh’s second statement was “I have read your allegations. I do not believe any of them. You can not substantiate any of them and this is not what we are here for today”. As far as I knew that WAS the purpose of the meeting. I asked for an investigation into the lies I was told by BCCYS to gain control of the boys. After all I WAS THE PARTY WHO REQUESTED AN INVESTIGATION AND MEETING! I asked Mr. Waugh directly why this allegation continues to be TOTALLY IGNORED. His reply? You can’t substantiate that. I don’t believe you.” I informed him that I have witnesses and that these statements were made to other people beside me. I produced letters written by my witnesses. Mr. Waugh tossed them aside claiming that they were not notarized and so were not “real” and that he didn’t believe me! Imagine my witnesses surprise when they found out they were “not real and wrote unsubstantiated claims”. Apparently Mr. Waugh also wears the hat of “Judge” as well.
So - THAT was the entire extent of my promised investigation by Leonard Pocius of the Office of Children, Youth and Families Northeast Regional Office. Well THANK YOU MR. POCIUS. I am eternally grateful that your investigation team isn’t currently working for our military.
I was chastised by the attorney for BCCYS for posting photos of my grandchildren on the internet - accused of being irresponsible by doing this. When I countered with my question of “What sets my photos of my grandsons apart from the thousands of photos of children available for adoption”, I was told “That is DIFFERENT”!
Perhaps she is correct. My grandsons’ pictures were posted by someone who loves them to the ends of the earth and who would anything to get them back. The pictures of the available adoptees are posted be agencies who view them as transferable profitable goods.
To this date, we still have not had any contact with the boys at all. I have no idea if my letters ever reach my grandsons eyes. I hope and pray they can feel my thoughts and prayers. I believe that love transcends all. Please keep us in your prayers.
Thank you for taking the time to have read this far. I wish you well.
Posted by April Burks @ 9:47 PM 0 comments
Comment by April Burks — September 25, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
notOK, Thanks for asking. I believe that true child abuse is rare, so ideally far fewer children should be taken from their families. And of those that are taken, there’s often extended family members able to take care of the children.
Look around the site. You’ll find lots of grandparents here trying to get the children out of foster care, but they are being denied their kinship care rights. Instead children are placed in non-relative foster homes and adopted by strangers. They are totally lost to their families; this is what needs to stop. If there are any extended family members they should get custody before foster parents or adopters. I know the LAW says this should be happening, but in practice, too many social workers are ignoring this law.
If CPS social workers took fewer children and placed most of them with family members, there would be little need for foster parents. There would still be a need for a few who would take in only truly abused children who had no extended family able to care for them.
Comment by Linda — September 25, 2007 @ 4:44 pm
“the good that CPS and social workers are doing” ~ Heather
That is a load of rubbish, I am sorry to say…
Lets look at the ratio’s here:
One saved child vs. 100 devastated families and children is bad math… Period.
Yes I know 100 isn’t even close, it should be upwards of 200-1000, its just not sure, but I know when I was waiting for my case to be heard the first time I saw 8 other cases go before me in the court room. All about the same things, parents presenting concrete and hard evidence, Social Services providing “witness” via 1st person, and the judge only believing the department and basing his decision on that department and the employees.
In light, no one is “all bad” even Sadam Hussein, however his evils greatly outweigh his good deeds. CPS is strangely enough in the same comparison.
Comment by Michael Wells — September 25, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
Plain and simple, if parents neglected their children, didn’t care about them, abused them, etc… They wouldn’t fight against CPS for custody… I’m sure there is a rare parent that does do that and comes around and wants their children back, but again, thats a rarity and usually involves a mental illness.
Comment by Michael Wells — September 25, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
Michael i so agree with your stance on things here and Linda to! You two are great advocates and i thank you for the inspiration! I do plan on writing the legislator and also have made this a calling of sorts to get into law and i thank all of you who stand their ground for this absolute injustice! And i will do everything humanly possible to make sure this comes to an end! Family is the MOST important thing in life and it should be valued…and for those of you whom have been through tramitic stories my heart and prayers are with you and your story along with mine are what keeps me strong! Thank You and God bless
Comment by Dawn W. — September 26, 2007 @ 10:09 pm
I have 4 beautiful children of my own and I have been fighting cps since 1997. My kids are 11, 10, 7 and 3. My rights were terminated in Aug, 06. I never abused my kids, but I was in an abusive relationship that I didn’t know how to leave. Plus I had a hard time keeping my house clean cause I have a severly disabled daughter that needed 24/7 attention. She is the 10 year old. She had adhd, odd, ptsd, seperation anxiety and a bunch of other stuff that I can’t even think of. She is in a behavioral facility 4 hours away, maybe indefinately. She was bounced around from foster home to foster home. 1 of the homes called 911 on her and 2 cops restrained her. Let me remind you she was 9 at that time. She has not seen my 3 1/2 year old since he was 3 months old or my 7 year old since he was 4. Them 2 were very very close and the state severed that. Her name is Noel and my 7 year old used to call her his Noel. My 11 year old son is in another facility about an hour away. They are working him into a foster home. My 2 other kids are being adopted by their cousin. I have an appeal going on at the current time. The hurt never goes away. Sometimes I wanna die, cause I can’t bare to go years without holding them. How do you fight the state and win? You know my termination trial took 2 months. That is because it was a hard trial for them to win, but they always do win. My family is destroyed, now and forever. My kids will never forget this. My kids need me more than anything and I need them. If anybody would like to email me…Please feel free. jodimae25 -at- comcast.net
Comment by Jodi — September 27, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
My situation is different. We are unable to get any response from CPS. I have a 3yr old step daughter and she is being abused. We have received her time and time again with bruises on her face, arms and just recently across her entire back side. We have contacted the police here in Issaquah, Wa. We have even contacted CPS. We have taken her to the Emergency Room. We have followed the rules and still she is returned to where the abuse is happening. How do you fight for your child when you can’t get anyone to listen?
Comment by Ronna — September 27, 2007 @ 3:45 pm
Ronna, that’s a matter for family court. You’ll have to file paperwork for custody, and have a judge review the case. Be sure to have your evidence ready.
Comment by Linda — September 27, 2007 @ 10:59 pm
Ronna, The head of the state DSHS is Robin Arnold-Williams. I suggest that you place a call immediately to her office and explain the situation before another child gets lost and either permantly maimed or worse. My daughter used this route and got very good results. King and Pierce county cps caseworkers to often ignore complaints. The phone is 1-800-737-0617 and the email is askdshs@dshs.wa.gov I have gotten quick response from both. May God be with this child.
Comment by Mary Griffin — September 27, 2007 @ 11:21 pm
Calling CPS is an open doorway for misery for all involved. I can’t tell you how many times people have come here to say they called CPS thinking they would get custody then had CPS deny them, putting the children in foster homes instead.
Comment by Linda — September 28, 2007 @ 7:47 am
Calling cps is really a stab in the dark. It could either back fire on you or work it all depends on the worker you get in all seriousness by contacting them you could hurt yourself. I’ve read stories where the protective parent was labled a “aleinator” basically accused of parental alienation and lost all custody. On the other hand my boyfriends ex has used this method very successfully, hence my problems with cps. IF there really is abuse there go through the cops and have everything documented not cps. It seems cps can’t tell the difference between real abuse and something made up. Even though I have tons of proof indicating what the ex wife alleges is false they want to ignore that even though I’ve told the cps worker about the DV going on in front of her kids done by her boyfriend that is still the better place for the kids. In this situation the 2 kids she has custody of would almost be better in foster care or with a family member than where they are. That is alot coming from me because short of some massive abuse and neglect I don’t think any kid should be removed. It almost seems like cps like handing kids over to their abusers.
Comment by Debbie — September 28, 2007 @ 3:35 pm
Jodi my heart goes out to you Its is sad when your children are taken from you for no reason. If this is the case then you need to fight like you nerver have before, becuase your children are the ones that will be effectied for life. IEven whern the CPS takes children I do not agree with CPS seperationg siblings.
Comment by L Wallace — September 29, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
Linda,
I agree with you…..
The best interest in the matter of the child or children….is for them to stay with in their family.If they need to stay with anyone…it should be especially Grandparents or a Grandparent who is close with them and who dearly loves them…..Not strangers!
And your right, their would’nt be no need for such a thing as foster parent’s or adoptions…….
Most Grandparent’s want their Grandchildren, and would do anything for their Grandchildren…..
I know I would, I love my Grandchildren with my whole heart and soul….and they love me…..they mean the world to me…..
I was Blessed, when I was young, I had a wonderful, loveing , natureing Grandmother, and I spent as much time or sometimes more with her then I did with my Mom.But, I had the best of both worlds…
And my family were close nit, I also had an Aunt and Uncle who meant the world to me…and who I was very close to and they me……..
We where poor in material things, But, rich in love…..
You see it was’nt what one had that was important .
My Grandmother had 16 children and raised 12 to Adulthood , I had oodles of Aunts and Uncles, and cousins…..
My Grandmother, never lived on welfare…..My Grandfather died 3 months before I was born….When she was older….she had a little pension check she received and was abel to buy a little house….
Christmas was always a Great joy in my family. As well as all the other Holidays…
There was no such a thing as haveing to get food stamps from the Goverment, to have food on the table…… Yet! there was always food in abundence on the table.
God was always welcome in my Grandmothers house……
I was taught to appreciate music, Theatre,and so many other things in life…But, especially the little things…..
I was taught to appreciate the fact that we lived in a free country….and what it meant ….when
on the first day of school, when the first thing I saw was the ” Declaration of Independence” tacked on the classroom wall……and how important the morning prayer was and the prayer at lunch, to thank God who provided our food .
There was no such thing as a CPS person pounding on the door……..
Children were’nt raised in fear that someone could take them away from their familys………
Familys Rights were respected!
But, when I was real little I do remember the Air Raid warning’s and the planes comming over in drill..and how it scared the witts out of me with the loud booms sounding…..and the lights out and the pitch black nights.And the talk of Hitler and Germany….and the war.I knew what terror was, as a little girl.
And the relief I felt when I heard the war was over on the radio, and how happy everyone was…… I was’nt afraid anymore……..
But, then there was Communisim…and how the State took children away from their familys and they became the parent….and raised them to become Communist…..in a Communist Country……
And parents were stripped of their rights !
Comment by Dottie Hashman — September 29, 2007 @ 9:54 pm
I too have been in the system. I was adopted at age 2 but thankfully i was adopted to a loving family who hated cps to this day. I am currently living with my biological father in newport beach, california. My niece was taken by CPS recently but was recovered by my dad when he wouldnt let her go. She is now out of the system. My dad has been handling these people for 25 years and has developed a method for getting kids back. The courts never follow any of their own rules so it makes it difficult to “follow proceedure”. My dad, Larry Hanshew, and I are currently working on a case (Julie Witherspoon) who’s kids were abducted by CPS. She is an Active Duty Specialist in the Army and they’re still screwing her over. I have my own website as well with the same stories of CPS tradgeties. http://cassinetwork.org.
Comment by Lorne Houle — September 30, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
We won!!!!!!!!!!!!
My daughter and son-in-law were able to take their baby home Thursday!
It isn’t quite over yet set for trial to dismiss (so they say) in January 2008.
They weren’t very happy about me filing a complaint to the Bar Assoc. on the State Attorney. And having the proof that the State Attorney lied in court to the judge. But, never the less - WE WON!
We got our transcripts. And in those transcripts is an outright lie from CPS to the Judge.
Stay tuned - more to come….
Thank you Linda for this website….
Comment by Diando — October 1, 2007 @ 11:12 am
Throughout this case,CPS was the only persons telling me about the case.At the beginningofthis case Iwas only 20 yr old and did not know legal terms. On or about June26,2003 an emergency hering was held to take my children from me.At this hearing ,I this hearing,Iwas told that Iwould be offered sevices by CPS which I would need to complete to get my girls back. Folloing this hearing ,I was denied my connstitutional rights by CPS.Iwas also denied my right to a lawyer as required by law in a case like this.CPS knew Iwas living in a shelter and that Iwas indigent and could not afford a lwayer. At no time did Cps or their lawyers requst a lawyer for me,have one appointted for me,and attempt to assist me in obtaing legal counsel or allow me to have someone working for my rights in this case. Tht only people that talked to me about my parental rights to my girls were CPS and othersworking for them.No one ever talked with me who only worked for my rights in this case.After CPS denied me my rights of service of process and legal counsel for me in the very beginning of this case,CPS proceededto hold hearings telling me that if Icompleted services Iwould get my children back.Even the judge told me I was getting my girls back.CPS had problems referring me for services so I found services myself .Presented cert.and proof during this CPS said it was fine and so did ever thing they said to Ifinished it so after several months of pursuing sevices on my own with CPS knowing so they need something on me now that I see it now to keep my childen.Well want happen was they asked me to take a drug test right after Ihad my son I had E-section with him right to day Iknow they knew that but you know what they say well the test came back postive 1129 mg in my hair, they never even spoken to my doctor they told the judge that I was on drugs cocaine but it was really prescription drugs for my E-section I took the test 3 days after getting out the hopsital so they came to the judge with results and came and picked up my son so really I was fighting two different county harris ,and braorzia to make a long story short I fight for my son and got him back while seeing my girls not knowing that CPS was terminating my rights.At this time my grandmother who rasied me died and never be a part from was gone.So new my health of my sitation was not doing good but then I met the guy who at the time Ididn;t want to be with body.so NOW he is my husband and his family helped me get my son back at this time he is one Igot him back the day sfter his birthday and still fighting CPS in brazoria over my girls even after they took my rights way.They been in seven different FP in there short lives even going all the way to suppeme court of Texas and not useing state money me and my husband payed for it but because we didn’t have any cases with us other then ours they denied me and adobted my kids out to a foster family who had two more foster kids that was boys teens 13and 16 then they gave my girls two the the only babys in the house.I cry every time I think about how they did me and wish I had knew what Iknow now my girls are 6 going to turn 7 on Dec.31and the other one is 4 going to turn 5 in may 22 and I miss them so much Idid all my services and they want give them back I even proved that I wasn’t on drugs a letter from my docter they didn’t even talk to .They took my life and I want my girls back Ihave everything a young family wants shut my house is even payed for and I own the property there room is waiting for them I just want what CPS took for me my life, mother and them to see there brothers and family that is waiting to see them and hold them.And if the foster p is reading this I never did any thing to hurt my body or soul I love GOD and can’t know one take that away you need not tell my babys that I didn’t want them because there is not a day go by I don’t think about the day life change for me and them they never let even say good bye because I didn’t have a chance to took them so fast I couldn’t and if they came to you hurt and hungry CPS DID THAT they were happy and well feed if any thing I am guilty of loving the way a true mother would love there children never letting them think I was never going to be there I told them mom will never say good bye but say I love you because good bye is never coming back love you, you will be back and they understood that just because CPS is to stupid to know that if you all believe CPS and there BS that come with them.Just think do your case worker have kids lot of them don’t thats why they are heart less from the time you meet the to the time you will never see your chjildren CPS stand for careless persons services and if you feel the way I feel you know were I coming from WALK IN and see a CPS home and think to your self AND YOU WANT ME TO KEEP CLEAN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT CLEAN IS I hate CPS they just take never give back .
Comment by Evanjela — October 1, 2007 @ 11:46 am
This is my first time on here I am on here to tell whom ever will listen that I Have been fighting the CPS System For more then 11 Years Now My Children where taken from me and my Husband in1997 And Now My Oldest Is 18 And they are still trying to keep us from having any contact with him to get this mess strighted out you see they accussed us of Sexual Abuse on Them And I Have Proof That We Never Did Anything To Them That It Ws Done By My Ex Boyfriends Family And I Dont Know Where To Turn To Get Help In Proving Us Inocent The Funny Thing About All Of This Is That Neither One Of Us Is On Ny States CPS registry Or On The Pedifile Registry Either And Cps Had Over 11 Years To Charge Us And They Never Did So If There Is Anyone Who Is Reading This Right Now Who Knows What I Can Do Prove Myself And My Husband Innocent Please Feel Free To Contact Me At Blair14214@aol.com Please.
Comment by Marilynn Agostino — October 4, 2007 @ 9:12 am
this message is for Marillyn Agostino. Did you request, or demand a polygraph test( lie detector test) to clear your name? If not you should, You should explain your situation, And your local police department should give that to you. It may cost money. Another thing you may be able to do is go to a lawyer and get them to file a motion in front of a judge to tell your side of the story. (something must be done).If you can get a court order for a polygraph, then you may not have to pay. also request parenting classes, and go to your local tableland and they also may be able to help you also look for parenting classes if you are turned down…. Please be advised that i am not saying that you are bad parents, im just saying show them that you are willing to cooperate, due to the fact you have done nothing wrong,,, Ps i know what you are going through… just not for 11 years. These are the steps i have taken. i am not accused but my huzband is, and i have reported the step mother in 4-25-07 and now they are trying to say it was him…. Go as far as you can to prove your innocence. ….
Comment by Amanda and emily — October 11, 2007 @ 5:44 am
Polygraph tests are not adissible in Juvenile Court. In fact, Juvenile Court operates on different principles than criminal court does.
Comment by Mr. Anonymous — October 11, 2007 @ 4:00 pm
Polygraph tests are not adissible in Juvenile Court. In fact, Juvenile Court operates on different principles than criminal court does.
Comment by Will — October 11, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
CPS filed for protective custody for my children saying I mentally abused them because of a bunch of lies my ex husband the caseworker. This case worker has completely fabricated a story that is so unbelievable false that it’s criminal that this agency is allowed to abuse not only the power they have, but they are the mental abusers, having told my children that I was dangerous to them and that I would send things to them in the mail that could hurt them so I am not allowed to send them anything. All because my bedroom door was locked, and I was “ahem” tied up……since when is it against the law for a grown woman of 47 to lock her bedroom door while she….? My vengeful ex husband said I was trying to hang myself and sent my children and the police to the scene of the invasion of privacy. Cps has now given my ex husband custody and told my children I am dangerous to them. I have retained a lawyer at 5 grand, I can see this is probably just the beginning, but I won’t stop at anything to get my kids back where they belong and were happy and thriving. This particular case worker is a lying unethical slime ball child stealer child abuser. I will file a lawsuit against her, and this agency as soon as my children are returned to me. There is something wrong with this country that can allow such gross injustice done to innocent families just by the nature of the report of some ex loser scorned.
Comment by Vicki Salvador — October 12, 2007 @ 12:54 am
Vicki,
Look up federal code if indeed they conspired to manufacture lies and removed the children under false pretenses, if you can prove it, you have them. Pay attn to fed codes 42 and 18. Then take it to the FBI.
Comment by Debbie — October 12, 2007 @ 4:28 am
I KNOW WHAT POLYGRAPHS ARE USUALLY NOT IMMISABLE IN ANY COURT DO TO THE FACE THAT THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS RIGHT. ANYWAYS IT WAS ONLY A SUGEESTION TO HELP.. THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY FOR GOT TO MENTION THAT NOT THAT I READ MY COMMENT…
Comment by Amanda and emily — October 12, 2007 @ 7:36 am
Opps i meant due to the fact. and suggestion… Boy i can’t spell today.
Comment by Amanda and emily — October 12, 2007 @ 7:39 am
Here is a Real Problem, And I am reaching out for some kind of help, or feedback, or advise. This happened in 2002 My cousin and his girlfriend got into a fight at my house one evening, I got in the middle and broke up the fight,I got punched in the middle of the back by, My cousins Girlfriend. I have 2 steel 9 ” Rods and 12 clamps in my upper back… When she hit me i defended myself by pushing her up against the wall, To get her to back off. And I then proceeded to tell her she must leave. But she then took my phone and ran into the bathroom and locked the door, and called the police.And when the police came she came out screamming like she was being killed. So then the police busted in my door, She made the accusation that my cousin and i assulted her. Noone was hit. Mind you I broke up a Fight in my own home.My cousin and I were both arrested, We went to trial by judge, we were sentanced from 9 -23 months. My cousin only served 2 while i served 15 months for simple assult. While I was in incarcerated, My cousin and wife were having an affair! I HAVE BEEN THROUGH TERMOIL. My cousin, and now ex wife has done anything in thair power to keep me from my Children,They both went to c.p.s. And told them that I molested my children….. 2 different times. And both times it was Unfounded… Just to keep my away from my children. I told my cousin if anyone ever hurt my kids that they would answer to me. So him and my ex wife went to the police and said that i threatened them,.
So that kept me form my chlidren longer.
My Son was being bad Which is normal for children, and so he got sent to his room. And he had to go to the restroom and asked to go , and was refused, to that right by my cousin and my ex wife, just let it go,So he used the trash can in his room. Whem my cousin went into his room he had seen this, and took , my son’s own fecies, with rubber gloves and smered it all over his face and chest and then made my son do it. H e then turned the lock around on the door and locked him in and wouldn’t let him out.So thankfully my son got out of his bedroom window and called 911… The police and c.p.s. took my son into foster care.My son refused to go back home untill my ex wife gets rid of my cousin and gets a job, and cleans the house, but she has picked my cousin over our son ! I told my ex wife that if she lets me have my 2 children that she could keep thair disability checks. And mine, because i got it too, and she said OK …… But then she found out that she couldn’e keep thair money. my ex wife and my cousin lives off of my daughters Disability, When I went to jail for 15 months i lost all custody rights. So i am not fighting the courts for custody of both of my children,I can not believe that cys lets my daughter live in that house after what the cousin has done to my son !!!!!!! How would you feel if you were in my situation, or your kisd for that matter.Please Someone i beg for advise, or feedback . PS both children want to live with me,.
Signed A worried and fruserated Father … E.B.
Comment by jr — October 12, 2007 @ 8:09 am
i am now fighting the courts for cusody****
Comment by jr — October 12, 2007 @ 8:12 am
I am a CPS worker. I have very mixed emotions regarding this site, and yet find it compelled to write this message anyway. I know that I only have control of my own actions and beliefs, and can not speak of others, so let me just say that first of all. The scope of my existence resides only within my team, a group of 8 others, including my supervisor, who I feel are the some of the greatest people that I have ever known - good heart, good conscience, and good intentions. I will not pretend to say that false accusations are not made. I will also be the first to say that ex-spouses, relatives and others with malicious intent can be the reasons for a lot of our investigations. Schools are also our worst enemy. The will call if little Johnny has a mosquito bite and swear that there’s more to it. In the state of Kentucky, our dealings with families revolve around two main goals. Reunification with the parents, and a policy that governs a strengths-based, solution-focused perspective. If we go into a home and see alcohol within reach of the children, pizza boxes strolled out across the floor, and the reminents of marijuana in the ashtray, do you know what we say based upon those three observations? We say they have a home, they have ample supply of food, and they have sufficient financial income Those on my team function this way. We knocked on their door, so they have a home. They have pizza boxes, so we know that they’ve ate a satisfying meal. And they can purchase marijuana so we know that they have financial income. Granted, there are clearly things wrong here, but even this would not be grounds for removal. I know, again from the scope of my team, that we do not look to remove children. Only in the most dire circumstances do we remove children. It costs the state more money to have them in our custody, it is surely a wealth of paperwork, and the amount of court proceedings is overwhelming. I sympathize with those who have went through so much, but please be somewhat comforted by the fact that there are many of us who do our job with the intent to not only protect children but keep families together.
Comment by Sam — October 12, 2007 @ 9:22 am
This Message goes to Sam…
Hello my name is Amanda. I am on here everyday to see what pain and
Comment by Amanda&Emily — October 12, 2007 @ 10:42 am
This Message Is For Sam
Hello My Name is Amanda. I have only been on this site for 3 months. And i ran into this site on accident, But When i realized what my daughter was going through I have also see others pain, Its frusterating, and Hard to see whats going on. And sometimes people are more than willing to jump the bandwagon. You are in Kentucky and I am in PA. You said even if the marijuana is seen, there really isn’t grounds for removal, But just the accusation here is grounds for a removal.So i am realizing that alot of states are different. And just to make myself clear.. I do not think all CPS workers are out there to take kids. Because i have been fighting for my daughter to be removed from her fathers home. Due to the step- mom spitting in her face, Locking her in her room.And the father and step-mother had hit my daughter on several occasions. And i really didn’t jump to any conclusions, But those are’t mistakes that should go on, No matter who you are, where you came from. Or what mistakes you have made,,, My daughter is 4 years old, And my heart hurts for her, Because I am trying to help her, Now i am going to be honest. Yes I would like to keep my daughter to myself, But my selfishness,Does not help her, She needs to be the first Priority. And i am sure that you would agree with me. Just be reading your comment Sam. You AREa very sympathyizing person, And You also Look at what others have been through, Now MAYBE i am speaking for myself, Or maybe i am speaking for others, But sometimes, People dont take consideration of others feelings when they speak, And where i live that is the case. I am not saying that all cps workers are bad, and selfish, and i am not going to say that they do take kids becasue it’s thair job, And sometimes people that don’t cooperate have that problem.. I will agree with that 100% I am not on here because cps removed my child i am on here, because Yes they have lied to me. about some stupid things, and people aren’t perect, but when someone tells you your child was touched, THATS just something that you can never,let go of, Not to mention afterwards you find out that, that is not the case.I am just wondering what were they trying to do to me. That will take a tool on someone.. By the way sam. I do believe that you are a fantastic caseworker.and i do BELIEVE that you care. for the simple fact that you came on here with facts instead of your own accusations. AND TO MENTION YOU DID NOT LAUGH, THAT MEANS ALOT. my mother has always told me first impressions mean everything, and you can tell alot of someone on how they present themselves, and the respect for others, And she is right. I hope you stay on here and keep leaving comments, Because i do belive you care for children. And for you to say that you have mixed feelings on this site about being a caseworker, REALLY shows me that you are human and do care, and if you could you would do whats nessasary. People like you are what really saves kids:) and if there are other workers like you maybe they should come on here too, because you are human, and, alot of people are evil that do youe line of work, but all of them are not. I do realize that. You should read some of the prayer lists, They are very sad and they make you wonder, sometimes the bad outweighs the good… i wish there was no reason to say that but its the truth… Thnk you Sam for being honest, And not bashing these parents.. And mostly sympathizing , (sometimes that all others need) is to know someone cares….. write back soon sincerely Amanda
Comment by Amanda&Emily — October 12, 2007 @ 11:06 am
Hi, I’m also a Child Welfare Social Worker from the state of Illinois.
I agree with Sam- we in Illinois do not remove children based on such criteria but are forced to deal with people who make hot-line calls that are simply baseless and only serve to aggravate the family it’s directed at.
When a hot line call comes DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) investigates all parties involved, including the child, the family and the individual who called the report in. If there are ground for removal, there must be sufficient evidence and it must correspond with a specific safety issue. Then, within the first 48 hours there is a hearing to determine whether or not the children are in imminent danger. Sometimes the children are returned home at this time. Within a month from this time, there is a pre-trial hearing scheduled where the family can offer testimony or evidence through themselves or through the public defender. At this time they either stipulate (agree) that there was abuse/neglect/dependency or the case goes to trial where the public defender, guardian ad litem (child’s attorney) and the state’s attorney submit evidence to the judge who then rules whether or not there are ground for the petition for temporary custody.
If there is temporary custody taken, the parents are linked with services to address the precipitating factors of why the child(ren) came into care. For example, if the child came into care due to lack of supervision (toddler found outside in 50 degree temperature) and it is discovered that mom was shooting meth-amphetamine at the time—that mom will have 1 year to show some kind of improvement. If she does show some kind of improvement, the state usually does not move to terminate her rights. In other words, parents really have to be pretty chronic and unchanging with their problems in order to have their rights terminated.
If the parental rights are terminated, the preference in Illinois is that the children be adopted by a relative. In fact, that’s the preference for foster care too. That way the child is at least with family.
There are some instances that I do believe the child does not need to be involved in child welfare services. I will readily agree with that, however, the majority of the cases I deal with are there for a good reason. Here are some common-types of cases:
* Mom and Dad both busted for having hundreds of pounds of pot and an illegally procured assault rifle- Children wind up living with their aunt for the time being because mom and dad are in jail awaiting sentencing.
* Live-in boyfriend that beats on his girlfriend and tortures her 5 year old daughter by pulling out her hair. It’s not hearsay when you see that she has bald spots. She refuses to leave him. Kids may reside with relative foster care.
*Mom and Dad arrested for solicitation of child pornography and both serving sentences in a state pen. Children were molested. Kids may reside in traditional foster care.
Comment by Mitch — October 12, 2007 @ 1:04 pm
A word on bogus hot-line calls…
We get them all the time. Like, for example, someone calls DCFS because a girl at school says she used her mom’s vibrator and the parent of the girl’s friend thinks she’s being abused. When, in reality, it’s just silly teenage stuff. Report is then unfounded and we get out of your lives in a matter of days. The kids aren’t taken away and no one goes to court. A lot of calls wind up concluding this way. Having an unfounded report isn’t something that winds up in anyone’s records but DCFS- period.
Comment by Mitch — October 12, 2007 @ 1:11 pm
My son and daughter were taken from me in 2001, four months after I divorced my Ex and received SOLE custody. Unwisely, I had allowed my boyfriend to move in with me, as my Ex and I had been separated over seven months prior to the divorce. The Ex made a false accusation, which was dismissed as “Unfounded” by DCF, Department of Children and Families in Florida. Because of this, he made a second accusation TWO WEEKS LATER and was able to get my children removed from my custody and the boyfriend was accused. Boyfriend left the state and never came back two days later. I was in trial for two years, with a judge stating in open court that she didn’t want to ruin any one’s holiday and so would allow the case to be continued from November 05 to February 02. Guess who was a big NOBODY? Yeah, that would be the me, the mother, not accused of anything, but guilty due to the fact that the boyfriend, who never had charges against him, never came back. He didn’t testify, so he was guilty. I was guilty by association. I had refused to sign the case plan for two years, and so lost custody, due to the fact that the Ex had kept the kids for these long and painful two years, was now their “secure environment”. Nothing he did mattered, not the lying on the stand and off of it, not the facts, not the testimony of court-ordered supervisors on how bad the kids were treated, kept. I had to take a court ordered psych. eval. due to the fact that he said I was crazy, I had to take parenting classes and lost custody. I have had visitation rights since 2002, and cherish every moment I get to spend with my kids. Because he won’t follow that court order giving me specific visitation, I have filed a motion against him and have a court date in January. How do you think he took that?? He has just called DCF again to make false allegations for the third time, and I don’t know if I can live through another two years of hell attempting to prove my innocence. God bless every single person that has had their life/liberty/freedom/rights/privacy/finances torn asunder by these bastards and their lying/thieving anonymous hot-line tippers and not lost their minds, hearts, or souls. I stand only for my kids, and pray every day that they understand why I still continue to bleed just for another opportunity to be their mom one more weekend.
Comment by Florida Mom — October 13, 2007 @ 12:33 pm
Sam, I have mixed emotions on cps workers probably as much as you have about the posters on here. I do believe that very few social workers go into the field to “hurt” families. When I was in college I knew a few people going into social work and thier reason was because” they wanted to help families” not to distroy them. I’m sure you can see on here we have had all types of social worker post. Ones that have called the people here “sick” and were rude, they were probably burnt out and bad social workers and we have had a few like you who do your jobs and know the difference between abusive and not abusive parents. Most of the people you will find on here did not land the “good” social workers. In my case we did have a problem and the social worker said many times “this is more of a blended family problem” that was our problem my boyfriends ex was causing it, yet did we receive help for that? No they wanted to work on unproveable made up by the ex problems that did not exist. So here we stand 2 years later my boyfriend ordered supervised visits that the social worker won’t carry out, still accused of being bad parents. Where as if the social workers just worked on the blended family issue this could have been done and over long ago. You can’t fix what is not broken and if you don’t fix what is it will just get worse and worse. this site mainly shows what happens when cps goes wrong. Keep being the good social worker and none of your clients will have to post on here. I feel like I should thank you for not abusing families.
Comment by Debbie — October 13, 2007 @ 1:42 pm
Florida mom
I know how it feels to have an ex that makes accutations to get what they want this is a form of domestic violence
Comment by Christy — October 13, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
Florida mom, it is a form of DV for sure only cps does not recoginize it as such. They only pay attn to the reaction so they believe the one that is committing the DV is my boyfriend. The ex actually filed DV on him it got thrown out but she did. Let me just give you an example of what is going on here. The ex cheated on him got pregnant with another mans baby, comes home and tells him this. Because he called her a slut and whore guess what he is the one that is blaimed for DV. Now what would anybody’s reaction to that news be?? Is he not intitled to human emotion? I will give you the most receint one. He is allowed to have a half hour phone call with his daughter, the connection on the phone is crappy can’t hear a damn thing cause the machine they got recording the call makes an annoying buzzing sound, on top of that the kid sounds like she is reading what she is to say off a note card in front of her. The things she is suppose to say make it so the questions are leading him to say things he isn’t suppose to, when he gets fustraited with this he is accused of yelling and threatening which leads the social worker to believe he has an anger management problem. Funny but everyone else that knows him wouldn’t say this about him and he works with customers all day long has to put up with some annoying stuff yet still the customers ask for him over his boss to deal with. Yeah sounds like anger management issues doesn’t it?
Comment by Debbie — October 14, 2007 @ 6:13 am
this goes out to sam;;;; I ALSO BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD BE THANKING YOU AS WELL FOR NOT ABUSING FAMILIES…. BUT THERE ARE ONES OUT THERE THAT DO… And i also appriciate the others on here, form c.p.s, that can be cival, and willing to give proper examples, instead of, putting all the blame on someone else..
DID ANYONE NOTICE THAT KARRIE, OR MEESHA HASN’T BEEN ON HERE, SINCE I SAID THAT I WAS TAKING THE COMMENTS TO THE REPRESENTATIVE, AND LEGASLATOR ? NICE WORK GUYS!!!!
Comment by Amanda&Emily — October 14, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
Will someone please help my family. Me or any member of my family have not had any contact with my children since 2003, the day the stater took them from my sister. My children have been separated from each other and me or anyone in my family have been allowed any contact. My case have been appealed and is now being asked to be reviewed by the appeal board. My attorney do not have any experience in supreme court cases, can someone please refer us to someone that can help me and my family. I am very disturbed at the way my family rights were stripped from us by the division of family service and guardian ad lieum, without any proven allegations of abuse, neglect or assault by me towards my children. I can only believe my children are being held due to their social security income left by their deceased father. my contact #573 642-2426 or 573 642-3210
Comment by Diane Chaney — October 15, 2007 @ 12:15 am
Me or my family never had a voice in any decisions made by DFS or the GAL. I have been appointed four (4) lawyers, which all but one (1) have did her job and are trying her best to correct the unethical violations of the others. The judge in my case is very aware of the unfairness we have endured for the last four (4) years. I thought this system was there to help families not divide them.
Comment by Diane Chaney — October 15, 2007 @ 12:18 am
please go to promofundraising.com/4298 I am trying to raise funds to help me along with other families pay for private attorney’s or anything that will help us in this fight with “Mother’s Against Dividing Family Stability!” Please help us.
Comment by Diane Chaney — October 15, 2007 @ 12:22 am
The issue was false allegations of child & sexual abuse that my wife’s ex-husband has been making for many years. We took lie detector tests on a NATIONAL TALK SHOW and I PASSED. My wife’s ex-husband did not pass. He coached the children to say they were abused and physically abused them himself. My wife and I want to clear our names, as SHE IS STILL ALLOWED NO CONTACT WITH HER CHILDREN AS THE COURTS REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE EVIDENCE.
Child Services, who once said everything bad that happened to the kids was our fault, recently backed out of their stance against us… but is still not helping to clear our names.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDGuuyB68NA
We are very serious about our case and want our children home.
Comment by K & Ray — October 15, 2007 @ 2:22 am
i am fighting my former C.A.S.A worker who has custody of my daughter……. its a up hill battle cause shes using the system against me ……any advise?
Comment by cheryl — October 17, 2007 @ 9:32 am
K and Ray Hello, i am amanda. i am now going through the same as you have been through, but the police are telling me my daughter was nit toucheed and also, that my daughter is afraid of the step mother,,,,, my dauther’s father and step mother are making my daughter say that my huzband touched my daugher, no allegations on me
but they have destroyed our famiy and reputation,…. maybe you can give ,e some advice… please help me if you can…. ps i have witnesses to what my daughter is going through. and the obly reason they are doing this to her is because they want full custody, but had no other card to pull…… please mail me back sincere
ly amanda
Comment by Amanda&Emily — October 20, 2007 @ 12:29 pm