Have Your OR Would You?

[AllForThisSite]

Have any of you ever called DSS on someone that you knew for a good reason? If you never have called them before but say in the future you became aware of a situation where something needed to be done, would you call them? I am just looking for several opinions on this.

Many of us have had calls made on us that were false accusations, someone looking for revenge, or perhaps things were taken a little bit too seriously than they actually were or someone just wanted to be nosey.

It just seems that since I've been under investigation my eyes have been open to a lot more around me and I see things going on everyday that could cause someone to lose their kids or be under the thumb of DSS. I guess it just makes me wonder how these people have avoided DSS calls in their lives but people like me who work and mind their own seem to deal with it more frequently.

[AllForThisSite]

SCARFYRRE WROTE IN THE OTHER THREAD AS A REPLY

I see stuff all the time that makes me think, 'wow, if CPS saw that, the kid would be gone!'

I have a friend, who is just the sweetest person, and she has three great kids, but she would lose all three in a second if a CPS worker came to their house. Her oldest has major behavioral problems, she's seeking help, but he misses too much school. The social worker has already started talking with my friend.

Of course me being paranoid and living CPS hell every day, I tell her what she better get done before CPS knocks on her door. I am ignored.

Her house is filthy. I'm not talking cluttered after a day of playing/reading newspaper/lunch, I'm talking garbage all over the floor, food falls on the floor it stays there, just disgusting. I warned her to get that house spotless, but I was ignored, and now I'm afraid she'll lose her kids. They also have at least one utility cut off, and sometimes two. They had to live in tents this summer because they had no electricity and no gas.

Sigh.

[AllForThisSite]

To SCARFYRRE

I agree with you about seeing things that would cause a CW to panic and snatch someone's kids. During the first part of our investigation my grandpa's neighbors had a cookout. Their middle child picked up a beer can and ran around with it and the parent's said nothing. My MIL spoke up and said, "Hey, she's got a beer can," and the mother grabbed the beer can from the child, swished it around, gave it back and said, "There's only a swallow in it. If she drinks it the most that will happen to her is she'll knock out early." My MIL was like My MIL said to me, "When I saw that I was thinking to myself, 'Damn, and DSS is in my son's life over he said she said crap but these people give anyone a legitimate reason to call DSS on them'." My MIL said, "If you would have done something like that at a cookout I can just imagine how many people would have called DSS on you and *Mike*."

My husband's cousin's ex wife is known to drink a lot. She works everyday 9 to 5 but when 5 o'clock comes around and she's off work, she starts drinking. She drinks nothing but Vodka; sometimes straight and sometimes mixed. She's known to drive her kids to parties where drinking is going on and she puts them in front of a TV to play video games while the adults get wasted. She's drove home wasted, drove those kids to me for me to babysit and I could smell the alcohol on her breath, I mean it's a wonder to God how she hasn't gotten a DWI. If she ever got caught with those kids in the car she'd be in trouble. I mean it's just a matter of time with her. And the worst part is, her children are the grandchildren of one woman who WILL call DSS or put someone else up to it. The grandmother hasn't called DSS as of yet but I know it will happen sooner or later. Or maybe she just likes to call them on everyone else in the family and doesn't mind letting things slide within her own. Who knows.

I also know of another family who was awakened at 4 am because someone called the police and told them that this family was growing pot in their basement. The cops came into the home at 4 am and searched the home. They made the children get up and sit on the couch and would not let them so much as get up to use the restroom. The search of the home took 3 1/2 hours. The cops admitted that the children's step-mother phoned in a report that one of the kids said they were growing pot in the basement. The cops found nothing but DSS was not called.

I just don't understand how all of these people who are doing what they are doing--with no thoughts to how things might effect their children--manage to side step being investigated but yet I get investigated at the drop of a hat. Some of them have dealt with DSS before and have told me what the nature of the call was and how the CW come out one time ONE TIME and never came back and they had DARN good reasons to keep that case open 30 days or longer but it was closed on the first visit yet "WE" get investigated for 4 damn months over hearsay. Whatever!

[Frustrated]

Yeah, I can see your point, I have seen like the rest of you, awful and horrible things happening to Children around Town. I have seen 5 yrs old Girl running wild and loose and she was ALL OVER TOWN< even on the other side of Town. And there was no Mother in sight. She is my Neighbour. I was shocked to see that her three Children is all over Town, running, and hollering, and crossing Streets without looking both ways. But the same Neighbour CALLED ON ME for making noise in my own House?

I even thought about calling on her, but I even thought, if I were to call on her, she would CALL ON ME again out of Revenge. So I just let it be, and mind my own Business and let somebody else call on them. I don't want to be the same Vindicative Caller as they claims to be. This Neighbour just got her Children back a year ago, and I would not want to see that Children are taken away again, just because of lack of supervision. Some body told me to Mind my own Business, because sure enough, I will get called on as well. I don't want to be the same Leech as CPS were. I was hoping that some one else calls on them, so it is NOT on me, but ON them instead. It is a very hard decision I had to make. THAT is the most difficult thing to do in my Life, is to look the other way. Because I know that this Neighbour called on somebody else, that made a Call on her. I don't know how she found out who Caller were. I guess she has Ways to get information.

But anyhow, the Church told me is to better to keep your own Business in your Own home, and mind other People's Business and let God take care of it. There is an Old Saying back then, when you get involved in People's Matters, then you would be shaking a Bee's Nest.

[Frustrated]

There is another thing I want to mention and it is interesting Campagin that CPS has going on...

CPS cannot do anything if they SAW something like you said with a Beer Can, but they go on saying "It would be better if some one calls the Hot line and CPS will take care of it from there".

Now why do you suppose that is the case?

BUT the Catch is my Case is rather different:

CPS SAW ME and my Partner and thus she Reported to the CPS Agency. There was never any Hotline Callers in this Case. IT was the CPS Worker that reported US!

Then we hear things like...from CPS' mouths, "We cannot report it unless some one calls in the Hotline?"

I don't get it?

[AllForThisSite]

Yeah it really gets me when the CW's sit and tell people what kind of a call constitutes them coming out to a home. The reasons they give people make me want to puke....literally. I think back to the time my step-FIL took his 2 children TO the DSS office and showed the worker the switch marks all over his son's back and legs and the pictures of his butt with the same marks and she looked at him and said, "You are in the wrong county. You'll have to go to the county DSS that they live in and talk to a worker there." He gets in the car and takes the children to that DSS office and the worker there said, "There is nothing we can do. Unless someone like an adult saw this happen we cannot get involved. We can go out and talk with the mother and step-father of the children and ask them about it but unless an adult saw it (there's that word again, SAW), there is nothing we can do." The DSS worker told him to keep the children until she could speak with the parent's and once she did, she escorted the parents to the residence of my FIL and told him to let her have her children back that there was no evidence of abuse. W.T.H.!?? The parent's claimed that the child was following his aunt up the driveway on his bike and that his step-father whipped him because he was afraid he'd get hurt. Oh that is just legitimate!?? You can whip a child until he bleeds from head to toe with a hickory switch for following a car on his bike up the driveway going all of 10 miles an hour but you can't whip a child if he smacks you cross-eyed!??? Again....W.T.H.!??

A friend of mine's son went to spend the weekend with his father and came home after a week with a broken finger where he shut it in a sliding glass door. His father never took him to the hospital but the school nurse claimed it was broken and that my friend was negligent of medical treatment and called DSS. The worker said, "The nurse saw....." (there is that word again...SAW) "the finger and based on the color and swelling said that it was broken and the child said that he was not taken to a doctor." My friend told the worker, "He broke it at his father's home and his father did not take him to ER to have it looked at. He did not so much as call me and tell me when it happened. He didn't even tell me about it when he dropped him off. So don't come here telling me that I am guilty of medical neglect when he spent a week with his father and his father is the one who knew for a week it was broken and I've had him less than 24 hours. Matter of fact, I called the doctor this morning and told him about it and he said as long as he's been without having it looked at there is nothing he can do about it now. But to make you feel better he has an appointment Wednesday just to check it out. Would you like to use my phone to verify it or do you have something more pressing to do elsewhere?" She said the DSS worker left and never came back to her house BUT the worker never called or went to her ex husband's house either. That's messed up!

[scarfyrre]

Until we can get a better system in place, it's a lose/lose situation. There was nothing wrong with my son save a bit of constipation, but I see outright neglected kids and nothing happens. I don't want the guilt of either calling and there be nothing wrong, or not calling and something happens to the kids.

We can't win.

I do think, though, that someone should've called the police or something on the drinking mother. There's many lives involved, and she needs to stop driving drunk with those kids. About a year ago, some drunk got on a highway going the wrong way. She hit a caravan of three mini-vans heading home from some church thing. It was a horrible, fiery crash that killed several people. I pass the little roadside cross about once a week and it scares me.

Constipation doesn't mean sexual abuse, but drinking and driving is just a timebomb. If she doesn't kill them, she'll kill someone else.
Can you tell drinking and driving upsets me?

[Frustrated]

You know what?

Most of the Frivilous Callers that puts us through unnecessary Investigations by CPS, were the Ones, that NEVER SAW the incidents happened.

Is that fair? Why should we go through Cases from Some one that NEVER SAW it happened? Why waste on State's Money, that there are actually NO Witnesses to the Incidents? CPS BELIEVES every Caller! Instead of a Child's Words saying No, it did not happen, I fell off my Bike, and broke my wrist. CPS don't believe them! They actually believe the Caller over the Child's.

Gosh, I hate that word "SAW". What happens if they never SAW then should they be brought of Charges for filing false reports?

NO! Because Anonymous Callers are Protected and has Immunity from such Charges. There was a Camagin that actually encourage Callers to call the Hot line for anything! That is why CPS relies on the Hotline "rather" doing themselves. Because they are not reliable by themselves! Get it?

That is why CPS cannot do anything if they saw something next door. BUT MY CPS Worker Did! There was Never a Hotline Call. It was HER that reported that SHE SAW me and partner doing something "illegal". Then they cannot go by what she reported BECAUSE SHE FAILED TO MENTION HER NAME AND AGENCY NAME< that's why! So hence she is not a good reliable witness. That is why she made up a whole bunch of lies to cover her arse. She adds that we "swore", then she adds "another" to make the Story "interesting". I told the Supervisor to why she reported it her self and never identified her self and the Agency Name. What did she say?

She was acting like a "Private Citizen" that day so that is why she has to report it. (she is a CPS Worker!)

[scarfyrre]

One of the big things that has to be done with CPS reform is to change that anonymous option. It's anon to the parents who called, but CPS should get info and investigate them, as well. I've seen the stats on how many revenge calls there are and it IS wasteful.

I forsee many years ahead of me trying to educate people and push reform. If it saves a family, it'll be worth it.

[Frustrated]

I think there should be new Rules attached to the Hotline....

Caller calls the Hotline:

Operator answers:

Caller claims that he saw a Boy being beaten up by some Man.

Operator should have said:

Is that true statement?

Then Caller said: Yes.

Operator should have said:

Please may I have your Name and Address and explain the incident of Date, Time, and Day and where the Incident occurred.

Caller explains all the information and it is being recorded.

Operator acknowledges that Caller is telling the truth.

Operator should have said:

Is that your Final Statement, all in Oath and in True Statement? Final Answer?

Caller says Yes.

So if once investigated, and it is not True. This Sworn Statement (recorded) will be taken to the Caller and charge him for filing a false report!

That would be the end of it.

I think the Caller should be made to verbalize a Sworn Statement over a Recorded call.

BUT the problem is that this supposed Witness that SAW the incident, CANNOT testify in Court, because he has immunity from that Call, and thus he does not have to charged for filing a false report. In severe cases, that the Callers has to testify (IF COURT ORDERED and SUBPOENAED) But in most CPS Cases, I have never seen Callers testify.

Most Criminal Trials MUST have Witnesses to testify to testify that it occured. But with CPS Cases, without a proven reasonable doubt, there were no witnesses or callers testify in these Cases.
So Innocent Parents are charged over this False Caller, and false reports, and lost their Children over a zealous, Revenge Caller.

It is not right. I think the Callers should be treated as it was for a Criminal Trial that they must testify and swear that it indeed happened. That way the Cases will be Real and True.

[DesertSkye]

I think this would stop alot of false calls if the caller as you stated knew that his /her name addy and statement were being recorded

It'll never happen
CPEEEEEEEEEE S will LOSE TOO MUCH MONEY!

What a sick world we live in

[AllForThisSite]

CPS takes children away and that is very serious business. Their reporting system should not be so simple as to allow someone to make calls and cause someone to lose their children based on too many reports or too many lies. If CPS is in the business to call what they do legal, make it legal! Have the person come into the office, fill out a written complaint, show identification, and be done with it. Once CPS see's that it's the same person over and over coming in with a complaint, they'll see a pattern of falseness and lies and refuse to take any more complaints from that person. That should be, SHOULD BE, the way it is but it isn't. Here the rules are, "You have the right to be faced with your accuser in the court of law" when it comes to CPS and removal of children from a home. As my understanding goes and has been for the past 11 years, no one to date has ever been faced with anyone in a court room but a judge, a lawyer, and CPS. The accusers were out eating lunch.

[mdgold123]

Their reporting system should not be so simple as to allow someone to make calls and cause someone to lose their children based on too many reports or too many lies. ..... Once CPS see's that it's the same person over and over coming in with a complaint, they'll see a pattern of falseness and lies and refuse to take any more complaints from that person....... As my understanding goes and has been for the past 11 years, no one to date has ever been faced with anyone in a court room but a judge, a lawyer, and CPS. The accusers were out eating lunch.

Couple of things here that I'm curious about.....then some comments too.

Too many reports...What do you call too many? Is one call? Is 3 calls? Is 10 calls? Then in what time frame?

"Pattern of false complaints"..... Again, what do you consider a pattern?

Here's where I'm sure I'll get slack......

If a person made one/two calls to CPS, any time I've heard of this happening if there is proof that the parents are innocent the case is dropped and marked as "unfounded".

Nothing big happens, everythings all good. No more is said. They cant do anything with out some sort of proof or questionable behavior going on.

Which leads me to my next point, when it comes to investigations. There has to be SOMETHING that makes CPS's ears perk up. Something that makes them question the parent/guardian. And some sort of grounds to go off of. THAT IS WHEN the case is investigated further...NOT because of the call. No one person has that much power.

It is also at the discretion of the worker to investigate further. NOT the caller or one who made the complaint. Again, no one person has that much power.

The call brings attention to what MAY be going on. BUT DOES NOT CAUSE THE INVESTIGATION TO KEEP MOVING. The investigation happens because of something the parent(s) said, did or didn't do or maybe something the children said. There has to be some basis for things to go further. It is up to the worker to "keep the ball rolling" or to drop it and leave it alone.

If CPS/DSS took every person they got a call on to court there would be 100X's more kids in the system and courts filled to the max. There has to be something there. Something odd, something questionable, wierd behavior, something for things to go further then a "check up" by CPS.

PLEASE dont think I'm protecting CSP by stating all this. It only makes sense. I bring this up because I think sometimes that the anger I see is going in the wrong direction.

Yes you can be angry because of the original call, BUT ultimately it is the worker who chooses to either drop the issue or to keep it moving.

When you pause and think about it, what I say will make sense.

As far as facing your accuser, I believe most are mixed up on this....this right for a CRIMINAL court, all CPS stuff is in FAMILY court which is quite different from criminal court. If they were the same, every single person who had their child taken away would also be in jail.


mdgold123

[Dan Sullivan]

Their reporting system should not be so simple as to allow someone to make calls and cause someone to lose their children based on too many reports or too many lies. ..... Once CPS see's that it's the same person over and over coming in with a complaint, they'll see a pattern of falseness and lies and refuse to take any more complaints from that person....... As my understanding goes and has been for the past 11 years, no one to date has ever been faced with anyone in a court room but a judge, a lawyer, and CPS. The accusers were out eating lunch.

Couple of things here that I'm curious about.....then some comments too.

Too many reports...What do you call too many? Is one call? Is 3 calls? Is 10 calls? Then in what time frame?

"Pattern of false complaints"..... Again, what do you consider a pattern?

Here's where I'm sure I'll get slack......

If a person made one/two calls to CPS, any time I've heard of this happening if there is proof that the parents are innocent the case is dropped and marked as "unfounded".

Not true.

I've met supervisors who wanted the case founded simply because the report was made by a mandated reporter.

Once I rec'd a notice that a new report was made against me and I waited for the CW to come and interview me. Three months later I called CPS and was told the report was founded... without the CW EVER interviewing me OR telling me what the allegation was.

They founded me for slapping my son in the face on a weekend I was denied visitation, and I had a police report to prove it.

Nothing big happens, everythings all good. No more is said. They cant do anything with out some sort of proof or questionable behavior going on.

Not true.

Which leads me to my next point, when it comes to investigations. There has to be SOMETHING that makes CPS's ears perk up. Something that makes them question the parent/guardian. And some sort of grounds to go off of. THAT IS WHEN the case is investigated further...NOT because of the call. No one person has that much power.

You are misinformed.

Once a call is screened in, it's the requirement of the local CPS to conduct an investigation.

It is also at the discretion of the worker to investigate further. NOT the caller or one who made the complaint. Again, no one person has that much power.

Again, you are misinformed.

Once a report is screened in, there must be an investigation.

The call brings attention to what MAY be going on. BUT DOES NOT CAUSE THE INVESTIGATION TO KEEP MOVING. The investigation happens because of something the parent(s) said, did or didn't do or maybe something the children said. There has to be some basis for things to go further. It is up to the worker to "keep the ball rolling" or to drop it and leave it alone.

The CW cannot drop an investigation.

If CPS/DSS took every person they got a call on to court there would be 100X's more kids in the system and courts filled to the max. There has to be something there. Something odd, something questionable, wierd behavior, something for things to go further then a "check up" by CPS.

PLEASE dont think I'm protecting CSP by stating all this. It only makes sense. I bring this up because I think sometimes that the anger I see is going in the wrong direction.

Yes you can be angry because of the original call, BUT ultimately it is the worker who chooses to either drop the issue or to keep it moving.

Not true.

When you pause and think about it, what I say will make sense.

As far as facing your accuser, I believe most are mixed up on this....this right for a CRIMINAL court, all CPS stuff is in FAMILY court which is quite different from criminal court. If they were the same, every single person who had their child taken away would also be in jail.


mdgold123

[scarfyrre]

The way the reporting system works now is terrible. A caller doesn't even have to give a name or phone number, he/she can lie about whatever abuse they want to pretend is going on, then in comes CPS.

Investigation? Evidence? What color is the sky in your world? On May 17th, an untrained counselor forensically interviewed my 6yo son for 20 minutes. She ignored the two years we'd been to other psychiatrists, pediatricians, the school for an IEP for behavior, urologists, etc, etc, and based on HER belief that only a child that is sexually abused would still have potty accidents, called in some story she claims my son disclosed to her.

Now, I'm no expert, but even children without behavioral problems do not disclose abuse to total strangers. This was her first time talking to him alone. She has no training at all for what she did to my child. She ignored the previous history I gave her stating all the doctors we've taken him to visit, stating the regimen we were using and how it was working, and stating the fact that I DID IT TOO! Yes, I admit, I wet my pants when I was my son's age, and guess what. Children with parents that had eurinisis are 40% more likely to have it themselves. She ignored all that EVIDENCE.

In comes the investigator. In front of me she asks my son leading questions (where did Daddy touch you?), threatens me that if I don't give her four phone numbers she'll not get the appointment I need, and sends me off to my pediatrician for a sexual assault exam. I have everything for her within a week.

CPS has 30 days to do an investigation. I called her two or three times a week to check if she got the appointment for their doctor. "Oh, they haven't called me back, yet". Uh, I would think if you call a center that deals with abused children and tell them this child is being sexually abused, they'd call back. She was just too lazy to call. So on day 42, I call an advocacy group to complain. They had me an appointment within two hours.

She took my child the day of the appt. without a court order because I was in denial. My son told them daddy didn't do anything bad, I wouldn't admit to something I knew didn't happen, and they took him. That was June 30th. At our 72-hour hearing they requested another 30 days for MORE interviews, no visitation with daddy, and asked for no visitation for me but the judge told them no.

Since then, they've subjected my son to 8 more interviews, 4 different homes (one of which he was beaten with a belt and molested by another boy), 2 different schools, cancelled visits, etc, etc. Our 10 day hearing has been put off and put off until Dec. 9th. Uh, that's five months for a ten day hearing.

Now for the good part. The original caller, the child saver counselor, refuses to be served. She doesn't want to testify. They're putting the investigator on the stand when she didn't investigate. They're not using the forensic report that was done within a week of the call, nor the one that took 42 days to get. They also using none of the 8 interviews they took him from his home to get.

In other words: They took a report, did not investigate, removed a child without evidence, and have successfully kept him for five months with no proof and no disclosure from the child that daddy hurt him.

So tell me, what color is the sky in the world you live in where vindictive relatives or neighbors don't call CPS constantly? Where CPS actually investigates and gathers evidence? Where mandated reporters can actually recognize an abused child?

In my world, they took the word of one counselor, didn't bother to talk to any of his doctors, teachers, family members, etc, to gather evidence. They just took him, and they're doing every thing they can to keep him. The thing that scares me the most, is if my in-laws didn't have a bit of money, we probably would've lost him already. Thankfully we can pay for a real lawyer, one that is a litigator, and that hates CPS.

Got an answer to that one? I have yet to read a story where CPS has followed ONE bit of their own policy. They accept bogus phone calls, put families through months of pain, and sometimes TPR with no evidence other than a phone call.

[Pines]

Everyone knows how CPS operates and maybe it is the worker that persists and insists but workers would not be put into situations to insist and persist if spiteful, spineless, cowards looking to start a bunch of crap with a cockamamie story didn't call DSS with lies.

DSS is nothing but a punishment tool. You piss somebody off and they know the way to get even with you is to call DSS because you aren't mailed information or told who did it. You can't argue long with speculations.

They (the jerk who called) may have only intended to scare you or intimidate you or rile you up a bit with a 30 day investigation into your life and it's history, but damn....did they really mean for DSS to send out Satan looking to score up a couple thou for the department by taking your cute little children? And now that the jerk has called once, it's highly unlikely that you'll do anything revengeful because now you're scared you'll get called on again. It's intimidation by a coward and for all of them who call on someone out of spitefulness, I hope they get it 3 times in the rear for what they've dealt to everyone else.

Nuff said.

[good dad]

I believe most are mixed up on this....this right for a CRIMINAL court, all CPS stuff is in FAMILY court which is quite different from criminal court. If they were the same, every single person who had their child taken away would also be in jail.

They would have to begin with "beyond a reasonable doubt evidence"... 90% of CPS cases would not meet this requirement in a criminal court so most CPS cases would never be opened....

Md, by reading all your posts, You seem to side with CPS and I get the feeling you have tried to use CPS to gain custody of someone elses child..

There has to be something there. Something odd, something questionable, wierd behavior, something for things to go further then a "check up" by CPS.

Sounds like you have never been on the recieving side of a CPS investigation, this is where I get part of my above statement

Yes you can be angry because of the original call, BUT ultimately it is the worker who chooses to either drop the issue or to keep it moving.

When a worker takes a false allegation call and embelishes it to meet "classification" as a substantiated call... Seems you have never had this done to you either, You've never had a CPS case against you have you.............

[mdgold123]

I believe most are mixed up on this....this right for a CRIMINAL court, all CPS stuff is in FAMILY court which is quite different from criminal court. If they were the same, every single person who had their child taken away would also be in jail.

They would have to begin with "beyond a reasonable doubt evidence"... 90% of CPS cases would not meet this requirement in a criminal court so most CPS cases would never be opened....

Md, by reading all your posts, You seem to side with CPS and I get the feeling you have tried to use CPS to gain custody of someone elses child..

There has to be something there. Something odd, something questionable, wierd behavior, something for things to go further then a "check up" by CPS.

Sounds like you have never been on the recieving side of a CPS investigation, this is where I get part of my above statement

Yes you can be angry because of the original call, BUT ultimately it is the worker who chooses to either drop the issue or to keep it moving.

When a worker takes a false allegation call and embelishes it to meet "classification" as a substantiated call... Seems you have never had this done to you either, You've never had a CPS case against you have you.............

O.k. I'll say again - I am not working with for or on the side of CPS, I am not President Bush, I am not Elvis, I am not Mickey Mouse, I am also not an angel from Heaven....so lets get over this.

So first, I believe that these are not criminal cases because (so I've been told) that reunification (when children are taken) is possible and is the ultimate goal. Like I said, if they were criminal charges no one would be reunified and almost everyone who had their child taken would be in jail. Would all of you who have been accused rather have that?? Criminal charges?? I doubt that.....Thus family court.

No I personally have never been investigated. My children are grown BUT I do have a family member who is being investigated and is going through the court system.

You say...."When a worker embelishes..." well that was again, NOT the caller. That is the WORKERS choice and there own behavior.

Someone asked what world I came from? Well, I can tell you that I have seen children SEVERELY abused and neglected RETURNED to parents who didnt deserve the right to take up space in this world. I have also seen children STAY with mentally ill parents. I also have been told of 2 families were called on, and the calls were unfounded and there was never a problem again. Soooooooooo I come from the same world you live in. But apparently, by what you are saying is that for some odd reason where I live, WE are different and CPS just does not bother anyone. Well then I suggest if you are all innocent move here. Apprently you wont have any problems again.

I believe there are legitimate removals but I also believe there are unfounded ones as well. I am not against you people. I just find it hard to believe some of the "stories" here. This just does not happen where I live.

AND I still dont think you can blame the caller for what the worker does. What if the original call was made out of genuine concern??

mdgold123

P.S. No one did answer my question about what is "over the top" for calls.....Any thoughts??

[mdgold123]

My post leaves another question for the group?

To call or not to call:

Hypathetical situation - Child/Children are being neglected, you know psychologically abused, possibly physically abused too. The parent(s) are truly in denial. Yes this is a low income family, sometimes there is not enough food or proper clothing. Child/Children are acting out in school and getting into trouble. Things are getting physical at home. Employment is sparse or non-existant. Drug or Alcohol might be an issue. Maybe not with the parents themselves BUT with the friends they hang out with. The family will bounce from house to house because they cant keep up with the bills or rent. Utilities have been shut off on more then one occasion. They've been without heat. THE CHILDREN have asked you for help. Have told you they've been hit and of bruises. (And not on their hiney) Parent(s) claim there is not a problem with ANYTHING. They are just fine and tell you to butt out. You KNOW there is a problem, a big one. You've offered to help, different ways (I wont get into specifics), but you've been there and offered. Other family also sees there is a problem too. They have brought it up to you. You've tried to talk to them about those issues. They won't listen. They wont have anything to do with it. You are watching the child/children suffer.

What DO you DO?

Apparently if you call your "evil, psychotic, mean, hateful, harassing, nosey, trying to steal peoples kids, everything BUT concerned and caring".

BUT if you DON'T call then the child/children could end up in even worse condition, living on the streets, running away, or dead.

Sooooooooo, what IS the answer when someone won't listen or even admit there is a problem??

What do you do??

mdgold123

P.S. This is NOT my situation. I'm just putting a scenario out there and want opinions.

[iowafamily]

I've had to initiate an investigation before because of my profession. I never had much hope when I did so though. I have no faith in the social services system. I see kids all the time neglected or out-right abused. A teacer friend of mine once reported a family because their son who was in middle school had a spiral shaped severe burn on his hand. It was very much the shape of an electric stove burner. She called human services herself instead of just referring it to the counselors at school. A worker called her back and said, "Oh there's nothing we can do..... that's just the way that family is."

[Frustrated]

CPS don't really bother anyone.

Wow, where have you been, man?

But you just answered to your own Question, you have not experienced these Calls, or have not been investigated. So what are you to say how we went through and felt?

It is unpleasant, if you would like to know.

Here is another Scenario so you get the "picture".

You drive a $300,000 Trailer travelling around, to whatever place, Some one calls in that you have Dope in your Trailer. Police stops you and your Trailer.

Police comes in and questions you with endless questions, and the Police brought out Knives, and cuts your Couch, Sofa, Carpet, Cupboards, tearing everything apart, to look for Dope. Cuts your Gas Tank to get it out to see if there is Dope. Cuts your Tires, to see if there is Dope.....

Finally there was nothing in your BRAND NEW Trailer, here you are furious and shocked to have vandalized Trailer, and wants some answers. You sue the Police for Reimbursements for your Trailer. Police denies the fact they did your Trailer. You find out that the Caller called to play a "prank" or "joke" on you.

These are what Callers does to us, with false Allegations, they come in our Homes, asking sneaky questions, and takes pictures of your Home, medically inspected your Kids, and further inspections that were unnecessary. Now finally these are "unfounded". So it is nice to have been violated, eh?

Since you were not in our Shoes, so you cannot really know where we came from. It is invasive, unpleasant, annoying experience, and we have to go through sometimes 3 to 5 Investigations, some from 5 to 10, and 10 to 15. All because the Callers played a Joke.

Pretty funny, uh?

The stuff you put in for a different scenario, for real abused Children, that would be taken care of immediately, but the point we are putting across is for the Innocent Families.

Do you really think it is fair we go through unnecessary impositions? Our Families have been violated with Property, Medical, Physical, Mental Inspections. Our Privacy Rights has been violated. If this was a Criminal, he or she will be protected under Miranda Rights. Period.

We have enough of these unnecessary Calls, that were Called by Venengeful Relatives, Friends, Nosy Busybodies, Neighbours, and even CPS themselves. It is time to weed out the Calls to make it legitimate.

[mdgold123]

CPS don't really bother anyone.

Wow, where have you been, man?

AH DUH! I was being sarcastic, apparently you missed that.

I live in the real world just like you and have seen BOTH sides of CPS and their investigations. I have never personally witnessed when the investigation process continued without there being proof or some substance to the investigation. Something to get CPS in a twitter. Sorry, I just havent.

(Besides here of course), maybe I live in some sort of utopia? (being sarcastic again, just in case you missed it)


The stuff you put in for a different scenario, for real abused Children, that would be taken care of immediately, but the point we are putting across is for the [u]Innocent Families.

Hummmmm, ANYONE can SAY they are innocent, (I'll add more to this a little later.....), I still want to wait and see what everyone else posts.

Do you really think it is fair we go through unnecessary impositions?

Abousoutley NOT, IF you are innocent. But what about those who are guilty? When do you call? Should you call?

I'm asking for opinions on the situation I gave and you gave your opinion. You think this is legitimate abuse/neglect and that someone should call. Thats my assumption. Correct me if I'm wrong.

mdgold123

[Frustrated]

MdGold:

Maybe Micheal here, is right, It is time for some one to volunteer into the CPS Agency to see what goes on.

Are you going to volunteer to see what actually went on?

Micheal says that anyone can go in and Volunteer and see what goes on behind closed doors, and to help them out.

Why not?

I can be scarcastic too.

I have yet not seen any Whistle Blowers as of yet.

Maybe that is the Problem with the whole thing. I don't mean Whistleblowers for Abusers, I mean the Whistleblowers against CPS.

Oh yes, I remember now....

Court Watch, that is one of them. Cannot remember the Website tho', but worth checking it out. So you know we are all in here for the Truth, not for Lies. We are here because the CPS had made actricious Lies against Innocent Families, and it got to be stopped.

Reform CPS is about high time to do it now.

Real Abusers, ought to be taken out, yes, but unfortunately, they are in the Low Numbers, and in fact we here, in the HIGH numbers of innocent Families, going through unncessary, which is a waste of funds, which should have went to serious Abuses for Children, which is not being sought. If the High Numbers of Innocent Families going through the Mesh, then there is seriously something wrong with the System, then. Why so High? Are you saying we are Abusers, and you are an Abuser as well?

If you say "Hell no, I am not an Abuser".

You just answered my Question. (Hell no, I am not an Abuser).

Then where is the Real Answer to this Problem?

No one knows unless some one can fix the System, and the False Cases will dramatically decrease and FOCUS on the Real Abuses.

It is High Time, that Abused Children needs the most Attention, so let's give them the Attention, rather than wasting time on us Innocent Families, that lost their Children unnecessairly, over what? Paper cut? Messy Home? Not enough Clothes?

Ridiculous. You can read all the Posts here, but you won't find any Marks anywhere's because there are NONE!

Most of us here are for Messy Homes, Mental Problems, Emotional Harm, Tummy Blowing Kissing, Behavioural Problems in Children (HIGH NUMBERS of ADHD< ADD, have you noticed that? , and so much things to list, oh yeah, Medical Neglect and Disorders and more.) Rarely here, we see any Physical Abuses, with Marks...OH I forgot to ADD, Educational Neglect!! Whooooooooo, Home school now a CRIME!

I am shivering with FEAR.

(yea right... )

Does that consititue to take Children away, and is it fair?

[scarfyrre]

I thought this might help give you some information. I think if you do some of your own research you will find pretty much the same figures.

I would like to point out, though, that even substantiated does not mean any abuse took place. A mandated reporter accused my husband of sexually abusing my son only because he still had accidents in his pants.

To get my son help for his potty problem and behavioral issues, we spent the past 2+ years taking him to pediatricians, psychiatrists, uroogists, neurologists, and allowing them to poke and prod him. He's also been in special programs at school to help with his behavior.

So, this means that he's had doctors, teachers, speech teachers, friends, family, etc to disclose any abuse. He's never said a word to anyone about being hurt by his daddy. This child gets top marks in school, has never shown any sexual behavior EVER, and is warm and affectionate to both of us.

Before CPS got a hold of him, all he knew about sex was that babies came form the mommy's tummy. He now knows exactly what the term 'suck it' means. Understand? My now 7yo had another person as him for oral sex. Before the worse that ever happened to him was getting in trouble for bothering his neighbor during language arts.

CPS ruined the innocence of my baby. They took a child from his home where he was safe and loved because a MANDATED REPORTER with no forensic training (and that means being able to assess abuse) claimed he was being sexually abused BECAUSE HE PEE'D HIS PANTS.

Get it? They only took the call seriously in the beginning because she is mandated. If my neighbor had called to say that it wouldn't have mattered. Of couse, then we go on with the whole non-investigation, the vindictive removal, and then the cover-up because they know they messed up.

Would I want this in criminal court? HELL YES!! Then my rights would be recognized and I'd get the evidence they're not bothering to use, we'd get a judge that had more experience, and we'd be innocent until THEY prove US guilty. In family court, they have no discovery, the judge will compromise instead of outright saying CPS is wrong,, and we are guilty until we prove ourselves innocent.

This whole system is wrong. I think we need some way to protect those actually abused, but the way it works now the whole family is abused by their own government. You obviously think we're all lying, and that's our biggest obstacle. It's people like you that haven't had to live the horror of having a stranger knock on your door because some idiot is mad at you, or your ex wants revenge, or a mandated reporter is covering his/her ass for something they did.

Read this article for info about the calling problem. It has footnotes so it's been referenced. I think if you do some of your own research, you will find we're telling the truth. But unless you live the pain of gettinig up in the morning without your child, and the pain of not tucking him in at night. The pain of missing baby teeth, first day of school, birthdays, and Halloween. The horrible ache that is constant in my chest, knowing I only get to hold him an hour a week. Missing him more than you can ever know, and not because he's grown up, but because strangers took him from my arms. Led him right away to places where strangers didn't tuck him in or read to him, tickle him to make him giggle, snuggle to watch cartoons, or make his favorite dinner of hot dog and mac&cheese. Into homes where some selfish woman beats him with a belt, takes every reminder of home away from him, and allows another child to molest him.

Get it? This hurts more than losing my father and my mother, more than any miscarriage I had, more than my divorce, more than my rape, more than anything in the world short of him being dead, but even then I'd know where he was and that he was safe with my gods.

He can spell, now, and he's getting better in math. He's so beautiful and funny and well-spoken, and I'm so proud of him that he knows we're doing what we can to get him home.

Sorry, I'm rambling, but I miss him so much. The nights take too long and the mornings come too soon. I have never felt such pain, and all because this counselor, who won't testify to her own reporting, said he was sexually abused because he pee'd his pants.

http://www.liftingtheveil.org/reports2.htm

Google for more, I think you'll be surprised about how screwed our system is. Also check out http://www.childrensrights.org/. I live in Georgia, and the state has lost two lawsuits. They fought against helping children. So do you honestly think the system works with calling in if it can't even keep the children that are abused alive? Do you know how terrified I am every time the phone rings thinking it's someone telling me my child is dead?

Live with that for a bit and see how I don't tell the whole story.

[Frustrated]

Scarfyrre:

Mmmm you just gave me an idea...I think all CPS Cases should be HELD in CRIMINAL COURTS!!!!

That way the Judge will guarantee our Rights, where Family Courts cannot. Because CPS has violated our Rights time again and again....I think it should be changed over to Criminal Court, this way, it will minimize the false Allegations. (for sure)

Of course, same as your Case, my Son peed his Bed, CPS thought something is wrong, which is NOT, it is aurenisis, and he is prone to wet the Bed, and not aware of it because he is in long REM Sleep. That means heavy sleep and cannot feel it, and Doctors say he is just plain Lazy. I would not be surprised, that several of CPS and CPS Doctors thinks this is associated to Sexual Abuse. If that was the Case, then why the Child has such HIGH marks at School?

Something to ponder about.