CPS at my door

[AllForThisSite]

First of all, I am not new to this whole CPS thing. It's been my experience that when someone gets mad at another person they use CPS as a way to get back at that person. The person doesn't go up to the person they are angry with and say, "Hey, you hurt my feelings the other day and I'd like to talk about it." Noooo! They call CPS and say, "Hey, so-and-so has 2 kids and they don't bathe their kids, their house is dirty, and they don't have any food in their house." When the CPS worker comes out she gives a quick rundown of what the caller (unnamed) said about the family and wants to do an investigation. I've had this happen to me so many times it's unreal and luckily for me I've found out who made the call within a week or so because people don't like to sit back and keep to themselves about the evil deeds they work on others out of spite. It has even been requested that we move to another county and don't tell anyone where we moved to just to make the calls and visits stop. But I'm here to say, that's not going to stop it. You can move, but as long as you work, get public assistance, or have had calls on you before, you are NOT hard to find when a call comes in and they want to talk to you....your address is right under their key-pecking fingertips.

To tell my story of what is going on now, here goes. I hope someone out there can bring some light to the situation.

My husband is disabled and has been for several years. He is on a lot of medication for his condition. I am of perfect health, thank the Lord, and I work and care for my children. Recently, my husband had a private conversation with me about his illness and the worries he had for it because we had gotten a report that he most likely had cancer which is not unlikely with the disease that he has. He is 100% at risk to develop cancer. I told my mother-in-law about the conversation and I told her that my husband felt like he was a burden sometimes because due to his illness he was limited on doing certain activities with the family. Like when he was hurting so bad he couldn't get out of bed, he missed our son's championship soccer game. He was happy when my son carried in his trophy, but he was also sad that he wasn't there to witness the winning kicks my son put into that soccer ball. Apparently someone else was told about the conversation and they called the law on my husband and they called CPS a few days later when the law didn't drag my husband off to some insane assylum like the caller hoped. An officer came out and talked with my husband and asked if there was anything that he could do and my husband assured the officer that he was of no threat and that he didn't appreciate whoever called the police trying to make out like he was all freaked out. The officer said his goodbyes and told us to have a nice day. He wasn't concerned about the children or my husband or else he could have taken my husband right out of the house if he wanted to. A CPS worker came out to my mother-in-law's home (who lives in front of us) a week after that incident and said that she needed to interview my children before she could tell me about the report that was made on my family. I was uncomfortable with this because I've heard how CPS can be about coaxing things out of children and how they can put words into children's mouths....and we know in the court of law the CPS worker is always right. She asked me if there was somewhere that her and my son could go to talk and I told her that they could talk in one of the spare rooms at my mother-in-law's home with either my mother-in-law or father-in-law present. She said, "Why do they need to be present?" I said, "I'm aware that the State Law of ABC (state being withheld) says that a child under the age of 18 cannot be interviewed without the presence of a parent or legal guardian." She said, "This is not a criminal investigation, this is an interview with your child. That law does not apply to a situation like this." She said that with defensiveness in her tone. Fearing that it might make me look bad to refuse to allow her to interview my children, I let her go ahead. After interviewing my 8 year old son and my 3 year old daughter she told me she wanted to interview me alone. She told me about the report. Someone apparently said that my husband would harm himself and that he had threatened to do so in front of my children. I assured her that that was not the case and I explained to her that my husband and I had a very confidential discussion about his illness and nothing like that was even said. That is ALL I said. I didn't tell her about the law being here and she never brought it up. As far as I was concerned that matter was solved. My husband was in the hospital at the time she came out and had been released on the evening of the day she visited us. She had said that she was going to the hospital to interview him and then when he called us to tell us one of us needed to pick him up from the hospital she said she would just come back 3 hours later to talk with him at my mother-in-law's home. She spoke with him and told him that she needed him to sign a release form for her to get his medical records from both of his attending physicians. When asked why she said that she just needed to speak with them about my husband's medical condition and verify it with a doctor that he in fact had a medical condition. We thought nothing of it and gave her the information because we all knew were telling the truth about his medical condition....why would we lie about him being sick? Then she asked for a list of the medications he took on a daily basis. My husband told her and she only raised her eyebrows when he said "Zoloft, Xanax, and Hydrocodeine." Then she wanted to know if we thought he had an addiction to any of these medications and she said that she would also ask his doctors that same question. We were apalled that she would even think such a thing. She told us that same day that my 3 year old daughter made mention that her father (my husband) owned a gun. I said that he did and not only did he own one but half the people, if not all, owned one as this is hunting territory. Deer hunting is very popular here and most people that live here or vacation here, do so for that reason. She asked that the gun or any firearms be removed from the home when she conducted a walk-through of our home but they could be replaced after she left, she only wanted them removed for her safety. She said we could put them back after she left but we haven't done that because we think she'll say she never said he could have them back...so they are not in our home. I took her back to my home and she asked to see every room in our home including that I show her that I had food in the cupboards and in the refridgerator. I did that. She made no complaints while she was here and even filled out a paper that our home, our children, and we, were neat, clean, orderly, and that the only problem she had was the allegation that the caller made that my husband said he would harm himself. She requested that my husband go to counseling and even produced a list of providers for us to pick from. Before she left she asked for the address and phone number of my oldest son that does not live with us. He lives with his father and visits here on weekends, holidays, and spends the entire summer with us when he is out of school. We saw no problem with giving her that information but didn't think there was a point to her going out there because my son doesn't live here. She came out yesterday unannounced and said she had spoken with my other son that doesn't live with me, but lives with his father, and my son only visits me every other weekend and 4 weeks out of the summer including weekends. She said that my son told her that the law was here on the spoken of day. She said she went to the police department and obtained a copy of the police report and said I lied to her. I said, "What did I lie about?" and she said "You didn't tell me the police were here." I said, "You didn't ask." She said that my 3 year old told her that she saw her daddy point a gun to his face and the gun went "pow!" and I told her she was telling me a lie. "I'm not telling you anything that your daughter didn't say Mrs. Red" she said to me. Bull! I called her on it. I said, "Two weeks ago you told me you asked my daughter if her daddy owned a gun and she said yes, now you are telling me another story. I think you are the one lying here Mrs. Blue." She said, "Why would I lie? I am only repeating to you what your daughter said Mrs. Red." I said, "Well funny you never told me this two weeks ago in front of a room full of people." She just sat there and stared at me. She then proceeded to tell me that she called my place of employment, my husband's home health service provider, his home health worker, and told them what is going on--she was only given permission to contact his doctors. She said she questioned them about my husband's medical condition. From the way she made it sound was that she wanted to proove that my husband was unable to take care of the children based on his medical condition....the fact that I was healthy and in the home didn't seem to matter. I even questioned that and she said, "You don't need to tell your husband to leave the home Mrs. Red, all I want to do here is find out what the truth is." What truth!?? What else is she hoping to find?!! I even asked her what her goals were involving this case and she said to find out if my husband was capable of being in the home with the children which is why she wants him to go to counselling. I told her we had made the appointment and that no matter what he told the counselor we knew she'd request records from that too and she'd be reading what he said in the session so what was the difference in him telling her what she was going to find out anyway. She said counselling would do my husband good. I said, "How?" She said the counselor could work with my husband and talk things through with him about his illness. Possiblly offer him information on support groups and educational seminars pertaining to people like him with his type of life-long illness. It seemed like to me that no matter how fit of a parent I am, her focus is on my husband. I am embaressed to go to work because people there only know what she told them and I can't help but feel like they are looking down on me and my family. We are afraid to be open with my husband's home health worker about his illness because the CPS worker has her hands on that information and she may use it against him. My husband needs home care services but we've thought maybe we shouldn't get the extended homecare services right now because if we tell the homecare worker what his true problems are the CPS worker might say "He really can't perform as a parent because he can't do this, this, and this." The care he has now is part-time home care, existing of 4 hours a day. The extended care he needs is up to 8 hours a day and I will be able to stay at home with him and be paid as his nurse which works out good because when I work a public job and my husband needs me at home, I end up having to take time off work without pay or I lose my job because I can't be there due to things going on at home.

To speak frankly, not one social worker has ever given me a copy of any report made against me. I've never seen one. I've asked for one and I've been told I was not privy to that information or that a copy would be given to me once the investigation was closed--never got that either. I have also told social workers that I was aware that they could not come into my home without my say-so and they've told me I would make things worse on myself by not allowing them entry. They have never given me a document stating what their purpose is in my home, what they are to do while in my home, and what my rights are during the investigation. The CPS worker told me yesterday that I could not deny her entry into my home like I could a police officer. My husband asked me to go on the internet to find out what our rights were involving this case. I didn't know that we could refuse to let her in our home, that we could refuse to let her interview our children, or that the plan of "services" they say my husband has to complete is all crap because it is not court ordered. I thought by cooperating with them that it would proove we had nothing to hide and that we weren't doing anything wrong because they have all told me that failure to cooperate would show to a judge if it went to court that I hadn't cared enough to work with them to show that these allegations were not true so in that case they had no other reason to believe that they WERE true. We also didn't know that we didn't have to talk to them. One thing the CPS worker did do yesterday was tell me that she wanted me, my husband, my ex-husband, and his wife to come to the agency and talk about what would be best for my husband. I told her flat out, "No way!" I told her that what goes on here stays here and doesn't concern my ex or his wife. She didn't mind letting that idea go either. I guess she agreed with me that that was pointless. I mean I could really see my ex and his wife going in there telling my husband what to do with his life. Really!! Ha ha!! Imagine that!

I don't know if anyone has ever been through the exact same thing I am going through here but just by reading what CPS workers do and why they do it is enough to let me know that I am not alone. I have often said that I would love to rally right up to Washington and let them know this is an outrage. I've seen and heard of people losing their kids because of other people harassing them with DSS calls. I've had a few myself. I had a CPS worker in and out of my house for a period of 4 years. Everytime a case would close, another call would go in. We were on a first name basis and it actually got to the point the CPS worker would come into my house, sit at my kitchen table and drink a glass of iced-tea or coffee with me telling me about who she'd been dating, her boyfriend problems, that she moved and how much she was enjoying her house, telling me about her car and it's problems and then she'd say, "I guess you want to hear the latest bullshit." She actually said that to me!! Forgive me for cussing on your site but that is what she said. She even told us, "I know this is all a bunch of crap, as many times as I've been out here, you know that. But I have to investigate it, it's part of my job. I have 24 hours to investigate a report." There were times when a call would go in on Monday and she wouldn't come out until Wednesday. I've even had one show up at my house on a Sunday at 6 in the evening.

I admit something must be done to stop the calls and few social workers have made the same comment that it is a waste of their time to drive all over the place to be the intimidator over a bogus phone call someone made because they were angry at another person. But I do know that the CPS workers we have don't stay very long. They claim the reason they didn't come as soon as they got the report was because "Their are only five of us and with as many calls that come in it's hard to get to all of them like we should."

Sorry for this being so long, but this is the first place I've found that knows what I'm talking about and what I'm going through. Thanks for listening and I can hardly wait to hear what everyone has to say in feedback.

Sincerely,

AllForThisSite

[blue]

and then she'd say, "I guess you want to hear the latest bullshit."

That is pretty funny! I've had a couple of clients like that - not that we sat down for tea or anything, but they have people calling in false reports all the time.

What's bullshit is that the worker told you that you had to let her into your home. While it may set off red flags if you vehemently refuse, it is still your right not to allow them inside. I've had parents who felt more comfortable talking to me on the porch and as long as I could see the kids and verify they were okay and the report didn't mention concerns about the home, I'm totally happy talking to someone outside. I don't like strangers in my home so I understand others feeling the same way. I would encourage you to call that worker's supervisor and let them know she needs to brush up on her 4th amendment training.

[Dazeemay]

Welcome aboard in learning the upevil ways of cps.

I am for protecting the children. Below is a post on how to do temporary guardianship with someone you deeply trust.

http://fightcps.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1103

It sounds like they are going to get ready to take your children. I know this and so do some others. They may have been in and out of your life for awhile and giving their good reports but, that will end. It happened to my daughter. My daughter thought she had a great relationship with the supervisor. For two years things just looked so positive and then bang. We lost our special needs granddaughter.

Read some of James Stein's post.....he has the avatar with a flag. His wife is disabled. His posts will enlighten you more. They are getting ready to do a number on you soon I believe.

You need to one up them before it happens. Think about the guardianship route. At least while the you are going through this the children are protected.

We haven't heard any bad results with doing this; but then we just started doing it. One woman reported on here that she did it and the judge was not too happy but, he had to honor the legal paper.

This too all depends on your state and your judge.

[AllForThisSite]

Well I guess those of us in this situation could call all day telling the supervisors of CPS agencies our rights are being violated and they wouldn't care. If you don't mention your rights and you allow them to do what they gotta do and go on, you're "cooperative", but if you remind them of the rights you have you are "incooperative" and "guilty". I'd like to see the look on a CPS workers face when you mention the Constitutional Rights you have....they don't care and they will say anything they can and be backed up by anybody they can to stick it in and break it off where it hurts. I'm well aware of one case in Florida where a man told CPS, known there as HRS, that they were not allowed in his home and they removed his children from the home and THEN did the investigation and the whole reason for removal was their refusal to cooperate. So what's that for HUMAN RIGHTS???

[Guest]

I want no part of this forum

[Gary Shaw]

blue,

I know it varies from state to state but isn't there a way that CPS can stop the repeated invalid reports. I understand that you guys are mandated to investigate all reports but when you even say some are vindictive and repetitive it would appear something could be done.

Gary

[blue]

I know it varies from state to state but isn't there a way that CPS can stop the repeated invalid reports. I understand that you guys are mandated to investigate all reports but when you even say some are vindictive and repetitive it would appear something could be done.

I'm glad you realize we're mandated. A lot of people who think CPS is picking on them are wrong -- it's your neighbors or other acquaintances who are doing that, they're just too cowardly or passive aggressive to confront you directly.

I don't know if there is anything CPS as an agency can do, because I don't know the entire agency and I am not even going to attempt to represent it. I do know as long as we're mandated to investigate every report, that is what we as workers have to continue doing. I don't know what can be done outside of enacting legislation about repeated unsubstantiated reports, and I'm not a legislator so I can't speak about that. Sorry that was totally unhelpful - your question is one for legislators, as they determine how CPS operates.

[AllForThisSite]

In my opinion I believe there should be more of a formality to these types of investigations other than "Someone told us". No, CPS can't tell us who called but I think it should be made law that when a CPS agent comes to the door that they have a copy of the alleged report to leave with the family when they visit and that there be paper correspondence to proove what's being done to investigate the case, with copies also going to the family. I also believe there should be some sort of rule, policy, law, whatever, that says after DSS has been to the home twice, that the name of the caller be turned over to the family to take civil actions if this indeed is harassment by neighbors, family, or friends. CPS claims they know a lot of the calls they get are bogus and are venomous attacks out of anger (retaliation) so why don't they do MORE to prevent people from calling up saying "So-and-so did this, this, and that"?? If they know the reporting agency is being abused then why not take measures to stop it?? I would also like to see a text book or document produced by a CPS agency of what they train their agents to believe a good home is, a good parent is, a good environment is, etc. I want to know what they are going on to say that a parent is fit or unfit. I have friends and family that do what they think is best for their children and although I may not agree with what they say and do, does it make them a bad parent because it's not my standards they are living up to? Going into someone's home and asking them to produce character witnesses, job references, medical histories, criminal backgrounds, and other evidence is not "prooving the person to be a good parent or a bad one"; that type of proof does not really document PROOF. Proof of how a parent parent's their child is to live with that parent on a daily basis and see how the child and parent interact with one another. But then again CPS says that the parent doesn't have to proove they are a good parent, they just have to proove that the allegations made against them are not true. OK. With that said, how do you proove what's been said is not true when 1) it's hear say and 2) you cannot confront your accuser???

[mrsmac]

Just a couple of ideas ive been mulling over....

If the complaint comes from the same person over and over against a certain family would not that cause the worker/investigator to consider this may be vindictive.

Also, if the complaintant had to sign their name to the complaint, would that help weed out the vindictive, nusiance complaints.

When my son was 14 he was involved in entering an abandon school to skateboard with his buddies. (the school is now tore down and a park is there). Anyways, to make the story short, after he was punished by doing community service for 3 months and the case was over, the court presented us with an account of the case, the boys stories, etc. in booklet form, even naming the address of the neighbour who called in the complaint. I was rather surprised we received all of that info.

I agree also that different families parent differently, due to culture, religion, environment etc. My method of parenting is different than my neighbours, but who am I to judge. Usually in cases where there is the most terrible abuse,neglect, sexual abuse etc. the neighbours were unaware of the situation, as in a case in our region a few yrs ago where teenage boys were kept in cages etc.

[kdddav]

Blue,

STATE mandated, but the States cannot make laws or rules or ordinances that violate the United States Constitution. Most everything workers do, violate far more than not. The fact they do make rules or ordinances that do violate is being ignored by the courts... for now.

ALSO, repetitive reporting from the same source CAN be prosecuted by the CPS Office to the repeating reporter where everything is unfounded. It's something about making false reports and abusing state resources, you talk smart, let's see if you can come up with the Federal Law that covers that. I like testing monsters. Drastically enough *GASP* CPS doesn't prosecute repeat reporters. OH MY GOD, they didn't give you a name or address? Anon calls are BS and shouldn't be persuited. Mandated or not.

And don't give us the "brush up on the 4th Amendment" crud. That is total BS. YOU may adhere to the 4th AND 14th Amendments, but if YOU decide one fine morning to not follow it and to break into homes under the color of law, ther eis NOBODY who is going to correct you, reprimand you, or fire you. If that was the case, 98% of all caseworkers would be fired TOMORROW!

If the amount of prosecuted parents who lost their children wrongly and never abused children equaled the amount of people prosecuted and put into jail, we would have another civil war. Only this time we woulnd't be freeing slaves. We would be freeing parents and children.

If you are a part of the problem, you are not part of the solution. CPS Agents who want to help can start by leaving their agency and use all their powers to shut it down. Otherwise, they have absolutely no value to anybody, let alone abused children. For every child they supposedly save, 17 more are illegally kidnapped into a life of real abuse known as foster incarceration.

The Tech

[Bob_Lynn]

the States cannot make laws or rules or ordinances that violate the United States Constitution.

Unfortunately, they can and they do, sometimes strategically. Congress also enacts legislature that is unconstitutional at times, sometimes even knowingly. Then it's up to the federal courts to overturn these laws when and if they're challenged as a result of lawsuits.

[Guest]

I want no part of this forum

[wtalbot]

Blue, while I understand that is USUALLY the case, let me clarify one thing for you (as respectfully as possible). The old social worker on the case of my older 2 children was seriously "picking on me" and my family. SHE was the one who called, SHE was the one who sent numerous letters to judges until FINALLY, after close to SEVEN MONTHS, she was able to get my son taken away from me. Had he been in eminant (I know my spelling is off...its midnight and I'm tired) danger, don't you think he would have been taken WELL BEFORE he turned 7 months old?
I have copies of most of her letters BEGGING somebody to listen to HER and spouting off a bunch of LIES about what *I* did to my children (it was never ME that did any of the things she said I did...it was my EX-HUSBAND whom I have not seen since BEFORE MY OLDER SON WAS BORN, some SIX YEARS AGO!!!!!!!!!!!!).
So, while I DO agree with you that it is USUALLY the allogations of neighbors, relatives, etc, I have to DISagree with you and say that SOMETIMES it IS a SOCIAL WORKER who reports things.
Just my 2¢.

Wanita

I'm glad you realize we're mandated. A lot of people who think CPS is picking on them are wrong -- it's your neighbors or other acquaintances who are doing that, they're just too cowardly or passive aggressive to confront you directly.

I don't know if there is anything CPS as an agency can do, because I don't know the entire agency and I am not even going to attempt to represent it. I do know as long as we're mandated to investigate every report, that is what we as workers have to continue doing. I don't know what can be done outside of enacting legislation about repeated unsubstantiated reports, and I'm not a legislator so I can't speak about that. Sorry that was totally unhelpful - your question is one for legislators, as they determine how CPS operates.

[wtalbot]

I did not know that if a report is unfounded that the worker is required to give you the person's name who called. I had SEVERAL workers come out over the years on false, unfounded reports, and I have NEVER been given anybody's name who called. The only time I knew who called was when my older 2 were taken because of the hand print on my son's back (the reason I lost them entirely), and that was because my mother told me that SHE had called. To this day, she is extremely apologetic, and very depressed because of what happened. She takes full responsibility, and, she should, to an EXTENT. SHE didn't know what was going to happen. She keeps telling me that, had she ASKED what happened, she wouldn't have called, and none of this would have ever happened, and I'd have 3 beautiful children running amok around my house today. BUT, she jumped to concluseions, DID NOT ask anything, and just called 1-800-KissYourKidsGoodBye.
Regardless of how this has all turned out for me, I have accepted my mother's apology - NUMEROUS TIMES - and I know that she couldn't look into the future and see what was going to happen. She couldn't have known that DFS was going to lie, tell another lie to cover up THAT lie, and tell another lie to cover up the cover up lie, and so on, to the point that they couldn't even remember the original lie. Not that it mattered to the Judge. Before any "evidence" was even entered in, his first words were "Termination of Parental Rights with immediate adoption by the foster parents". That was at the 72-hour hearing, too, by the way.

Wanita

[blue]

Blue, while I understand that is USUALLY the case, let me clarify one thing for you (as respectfully as possible). [...]
So, while I DO agree with you that it is USUALLY the allogations of neighbors, relatives, etc, I have to DISagree with you and say that SOMETIMES it IS a SOCIAL WORKER who reports things.

A lot of people who think CPS is picking on them are wrong -- it's your neighbors or other acquaintances who are doing that, they're just too cowardly or passive aggressive to confront you directly.

I knew I couldn't speak for all cases, and that is why I said "a lot of people" and not "ALL people" when I made that statement. Thank you for making your point respectfully. I try very hard to treat all people with respect and dignity and it's nice to have that in return.

[wtalbot]

The way I see it, YOU aren't the one that took my children away from me, and YOU aren't the one who made up false accusations against me, and YOU aren't the one who fabricated evidence, and YOU aren't the one who lost my case file...TWICE. I do not hate ALL CPS workers - just the ones that I have met who did this crap to me.
SO, while I may not agree with you, I will still be polite and respectful, since that is how I was raised. Its not YOUR fault I'm in this mess, so I will not take it out on you.

Wanita

[Momoffor]

Also for false reports.... CPS is required to give you the information of who reported you ( if they gave their name ) if the case is unfounded. This is FEDERAL LAW.

Here is the catch 22 with that. Unfounded does not mean False. It mearly means they couldnt find proof that it happened. Doesnt mean they believe its a false allegation. Thats why CPS is so quick to dredge up past unfounded cases against people, because it shows a pattern. The "proof".
Classifying cases as unfounded gives CPS an open door for the future.

[angeredmom]

just to let you know according to nebraska supreme court ruling (yes i appealed this cuz of the rights i thought i had) when dealing with children the 4th mendment does not apply... so yes in fact here in this state they can come into your home with out a warrent with out any permission and talk to your kids look thro your home and even talk to your children in private... welcome to my nightmare

[AllForThisSite]

Thats why CPS is so quick to dredge up past unfounded cases against people, because it shows a pattern. The "proof". Momoffor

This statement can be very true. My aunt lives several miles away from us and she lost 3 of her children. My aunt lived a very good life until diabetes came into her life, gout, and congestive heart failure. She filed for disability and got it. But during the time that it took for her to get her disability and SSI started, she had to apply for welfare benefits and submit herself and her children to public housing.

The first complex she lived in, it was overly populated with people with a love for calling CPS on people they were mad at. They called it "the vicious cycle". One person would call CPS on somebody and then CPS would show up repeating whatever had been told to them. The mother being investigated would share her problems with "friends" in the complex. They'd each give their opinion of who they thought made the call. Next thing you know you'd hear one of the girls say, "That's all right, when this is over with and they close the case I'm calling them on her!" Few weeks go by and CPS would knock on the next door, and the next and the next, until the whole place was being investigated.

I felt sorry for my aunt when it first happened to her. She said somebody called CPS and told them she wasn't home when her kids got off the bus and they had to stand in the sleet. My aunt had a dr. appointment that day and had no knowledge that the kids were being let out of school early because of the weather. When she got home, her kids were at the nextdoor neighbor's house. She offered the woman money for watching her kids and the woman declined the offer saying she was just glad she was home or else the kids would have been out there in the cold for a while. My aunt said the woman told her they'd only been there 20 minutes when she came home. This woman also verified this with the CPS worker when my aunt called her to come over and verify the story. She never found out who called CPS on her.

She lived in that complex 6 years and it became a cycle. A CPS worker was at my aunt's house over something all the time. My aunt would call me crying because she didn't know how to stop the false reports and she was scared of them because she said they were rude to her. I told her the next time they came out, to call me and refuse to talk to them until I was present. She did exactly that.

I came and the social worker was inside talking to my aunt when I pulled up. The CPS worker asked who I was and what business I had there. I told her I was family and I was visiting. She asked my aunt to show her the apartment. She wanted to know why my aunt had winter clothes hanging on the clothes line when it was August. She asked my aunt if she was sending her kids to school in long sleeves and pants to cover something up. My aunt started to defend herself and I spoke up, "I go to a lot of yardsales in the summer and I found some winter clothes that I thought would fit her kids so I bought them. Don't you wash what you buy? Especially when it comes from someone you don't know?" The social worker scribbled on her little legal pad and then we went upstairs. At this point she asked me how long I planned to follow her around and I said, "I'm not following, I'm looking, too."

After the woman had seen everything she needed to see my aunt asked her how long it would take before they closed the case. The woman told her she didn't know. I then asked the woman if there was anything that could be done about the frequency of the false reports being made on my aunt and I explained how people in the complex were famous for calling CPS. She asked me how I knew my aunt was a good mother and I told her, "My aunt babysat me and every one of my cousins, including raising her own kids, for 22 years. She never had one report made on her and every one who knew her, knew her as someone who is good with kids and people never thought twice about leaving their kids with her. She made her living caring for kids in her own home until she became disabled."

The woman looked at me and my aunt and said, "In my opinion, it would be best if you just let someone else in the family have custody of the kids for a while, just until you can move from here. If we keep getting these calls it only adds up and stacks up against you and eventually it's not going to matter whether you did what's being reported. All that's going to happen is that CPS is going to get tired of the bounce effect--close a case, open a case--and they are just going to use everything that's ever been reported against you as one big case in court to take your kids. My advice is to let someone else take your kids until you can move from here, cut all ties with the people you know here or anyone you might suspect of doing this to you, and once you get moved, get your kids back."

My aunt couldn't move because her lease was already signed for the year and HUD/Sec-8 wouldn't let her move until her lease was up. The year ended with her youngest son being removed from the home and the other 2 children remaining. I was angry. I asked how they could remove a child from a home over reports that were not even found to be true. The CPS worker told me that it was until they could proove that ALL OF THEM were not true--there were too many calls being made for something NOT to be going on.

The youngest son was moved into the home of his father whom he did not know and had never seen. CPS contacted him before they placed him in a state facility. His father couldn't handle him because he is an ADD/ADHD child and he called CPS and told them to come and get him a year after the court gave him custody. To this day he is in state custody. The other 2 children were removed a year after that because the CPS worker that worked with my aunt on getting her son back into the home made up things everytime she came out to visit.

I went to every court proceeding over those children and even stood good as a custodian of those children so that they wouldn't have to go into a foster home. The judge never spoke to me, guardian ad litem never spoke to me, only my aunt's attorney. He told the judge I was willing to take the children so they wouldn't have to remain in state custody while the proceedings were going on and the judge said he preferred that the children remain in the same county. I guess me living in another county was all he had to say about me....everything else checked out.

My aunt was allowed weekend visits and holiday visits with her children for 7 years, all the while CPS still came to her house for interviews and updates on her situation when the kids were there visiting and even when they weren't. My aunt did everything they asked her to do when told to do it. She never stalled about anything and was always honest. Her motto was: "Honesty is the best policy". She did not and still does not have anything to hide from those people.

The last case worker that came to her house, 6 months ago, talked with her about placing her middle son into her home. She said, "He's 15 and he's not been adopted. He will end up aging out of foster care and instead of waiting for that I see no reason why we couldn't let him come back home." My aunt was so thrilled with the news that she called me while the caseworker was there to tell me about it. I was excited for her but I wasn't. I felt like they needed someone to pick on and they knew she would dance the danec for them; all they were doing was dangling food in front of a starving person, waiting for them to reach to grab it, just to snatch it away.

After hanging up with her I thought to myself, "Now that they know nobody wants him, they are ready to give him back to the one person who always did." That's messed up. But the words the CPS worker used in court still ring in my head, "We have exhausted ourselves and our agency investigating the 43 calls--if I'm not under estimating--investigating bogus phone calls against her. Something must be done." The judge did do something, he stopped the calls, HE TOOK HER KIDS.

Her daughter aged out of foster care and now lives at home with her mother. Her son is at home with her now, also aged out of foster care. Her youngest son is in a state facility and in 4 more years he will age out. If she was such a bad mother when they were living with her, why does CPS call her and tell her "Come get your kids" when they age out?? Seems like CPS would give them a sack of food on a stick, pat them on the butt, and point them in the opposite direction rather than call THE BAD MOTHER.

[Guest]

I want no part of this forum

[wtalbot]

This is one of the many reasons why we are going to be moving out of the state once everything is done and over with. I actually want to move out of the country, but that won't happen for a long time. But, given the underhanded BS that goes on, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if one of the social workers involved in my cases would contact DFS in whatever state I move to and share the information with them. Seriously. There is nowhere to hide from these people. If I moved out of the country, they'd find a way to extrodite (sp?) me to keep me here so they can "investigate" more.

Wanita

The reason why if you have been reported over and over and they have been unfounded it is time to move as the state cant share with other states. After so many unfounded reports the will take the children even if they have to make something else up.

[sedwards]

I would recomend anyone that get ther children back to move.

but i would stay in country the city is even worse. move to a little town that is what i did . not sure but havent heard anything bad in this area it is little and everyoen seems to work together here ..

but i would definatlely move .If not they usually come back . I know they did on me three times in three days . it was so crazy i even had to get my daughter from school the second day she was so upset they called me and i had only had custody back three days . Now explain that first day i was starving the kids ..
second day i was beating my son in the front yard .. third day i was doing illegal drugs .i finally told them look this is harrasment youll better leave me alone and i mean it .. didnt see them for w hile .. then let my oldest go stay with his uncle upon recomandation of his counselor and the school cuase some bad things happened on hus fathers side and he was upset and they said he needed to spend a while with his fathers side . so i said ok .. well to make a long story short his uncle overdosed and guess what the day after he died dcf was at my house to question him and saying i let my son around drugs . now this was my x husband i didnt have hardly anything to do with his side of the family All i knew was my son 12 years old loved his uncle . i couldnt beleave these people they amaze me . well i am gone i am in a little bitty place now .

[sedwards]

I would recomend anyone that get ther children back to move.

but i would stay in country the city is even worse. move to a little town that is what i did . not sure but havent heard anything bad in this area it is little and everyoen seems to work together here ..

but i would definatlely move .If not they usually come back . I know they did on me three times in three days . it was so crazy i even had to get my daughter from school the second day she was so upset they called me and i had only had custody back three days . Now explain that first day i was starving the kids ..
second day i was beating my son in the front yard .. third day i was doing illegal drugs .i finally told them look this is harrasment youll better leave me alone and i mean it .. didnt see them for w hile .. then let my oldest go stay with his uncle upon recomandation of his counselor and the school cuase some bad things happened on hus fathers side and he was upset and they said he needed to spend a while with his fathers side . so i said ok .. well to make a long story short his uncle overdosed and guess what the day after he died dcf was at my house to question him and saying i let my son around drugs . now this was my x husband i didnt have hardly anything to do with his side of the family All i knew was my son 12 years old loved his uncle . i couldnt beleave these people they amaze me . well i am gone i am in a little bitty place now .

[sob900]

Blue:

No disrespect to you, but how can you as a human being stiffly follow the rules when you know the person being investigated is completely innocent. In other words what I am saying is, what is more important, your job or another persons life and family?
Help the children who truly need it and leave the people and familys alone who do not need it. I do not need the goverments help raising my child.
Dan

[blue]

No disrespect to you, but how can you as a human being stiffly follow the rules when you know the person being investigated is completely innocent. In other words what I am saying is, what is more important, your job or another persons life and family?
Help the children who truly need it and leave the people and familys alone who do not need it. I do not need the goverments help raising my child.

I'm not sure what you're asking. You seem to imply that following the rules is harmful to people who are innocent - in my experience, it is not. If there is no indication of abuse, I happily close that case and focus on my more serious ones.