My CPS story is featured some in Readers Digest

anxiousmom · Postby **anxiousmom** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:24 pm

Some of my CPS story is featured in an article about my hoarding & CPS in Reader's Digest magazine. It is the March 2007 issue, which will be out in newstands this week & is the issue that subscribers have recently received.

You can read it on line at readersdigest.com.

Here it is:

http://tinyurl.com/yt4pqj

Frustrated · Postby **Frustrated** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:38 pm

Finally some attention. Since you had remedied the problem, CPS have to give the Kids back to you. I cannot imagine that CPS would not listen to this. You had fixed the problem. The Kids weren't abused and yet it was a household problem. I don't know why they are holding your Kids against you, and put them in worst conditions than before with your Husband.

Don't give up. You will get the attention and CPS does not want any attention. They don't want people to know that CPS are just for protection from Abusers, but now it is about the poor house.

Yes Proverty is a Crime whereas they said it doesn't. :shock:

wms52136 · Postby **wms52136** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:53 pm

In a perfect world, DFS would have to give the children back after remedying the problem. However, this is FAR from a perfect world. Every time I'd remedy a "problem", the state would nit pick at another "problem" (heaven forbid...they were nit picking once because I missed a spot while dusting...or claimed I was hiding dirty dishes in my oven - I WAS BAKING COOKIES!, or the time where they said my floors weren't clean (they were stained and not even BLEACH got the stains out), or the time where they said I had piles of "dirty laundry" on my bedroom floor - I was sorting the laundry to wash it, and the list goes on). So, once one "problem" get remedied, they will find yet another one to nit pick about, and so the cycle continues. I've been dealing with the same BS for 4 1/2 YEARS now, and there is STILL no end in sight.

Wanita

kdddav'swife · Postby **kdddav'swife** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:10 pm

I will be looking forward to buying the copy when it hits the stores. We usually see it at the Walmart around the last week of the month and I always enjoy reading Reader's Digest. Is your picture going to be in the magazine too?

anxiousmom · Postby **anxiousmom** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 4:58 pm

Yes, my picture is in it.

kdddav'swife · Postby **kdddav'swife** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:56 pm

Well it will be nice to see what one of us here looks like!

Frustrated · Postby **Frustrated** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:04 am

In order to fight CPS properly and hard enough, we would have to expose ourselves in order for this to work. :roll:

I would do this to fight to get my Children back home. But we all have to be prepared for Anti-Abuser People saying what an abuser or a lazy person we are. :roll:

We would be prepared for anything that throws at us. But we all here know the Truth, God knows the Truth, and they don't know the truth. I rest easy and can sleep at night knowing my Truth is out there somewhere trying to be told. Privacy Rights have to be waived somewhat.

That's the difference.

Harlan Carroll · Postby **Harlan Carroll** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:24 am

I read the article. I totally understand what you're going though, as many of us probably do. While I'm on the other side of the hoarding impulse - I'm the one trying to get my wife to get rid of extra stuff. I realize that she's so much value in all those things I'd rather throw away.

Everything I value could all fit in my car - with me driving. Whereas my wife could fill a couple rooms with stuff she wants to keep. Furniture with sentimental value. Clothes she can't wear but one day wants to. Odds and ends for projects she wants to work on.

Regardless, we're both in the same situation: too much stuff in our house. And this has (obviously) effected our entire family.

So what do we do about it? Well I've done some research and thinking about it and it all comes down to simple methods to escape this sort of situation. I detail that in this THREAD. But for now I just want to let you know I hope things work out for you and your family.

Frustrated · Postby **Frustrated** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:06 am

Organization is the Key. Some things we can keep like our Ancestor's Memoirs, Heirlooms, and what nots. If it is piling up and taking up too much room, there is always an attic and basement for it. If cannot put it anywhere, there is always a Storage for Rent and you can pay monthly on it. Put all the crap and put in Storage and sentimental values like jewellry, and heirlooms should be put in Bank vaults. A Rental Bank Box that you can rent monthly and put all the stuff in there. So no one can steal the Heirlooms and whatever. Stocks, Life Insurance, and other valuable paperwork like CPS Files should be put in Bank Box. So they cannot just take it out of your House during Search Warrants. Videos and Tapes of their corrupt conversations on it, should be put elsewhere, NOT in your House.

Believe it or not, MANY People have LOTS of stuff in their Homes. It all depends on how many rooms they have in the Home. The smaller the house is, the more difficult it is to put stuff in. The bigger the house, the easier it gets.

We always have these stuff in our homes. Organization is the Key to put things in proper boxes and labels, so forth. Unwanted things should be discarded to Salvation Army or to the Poor. That is what I do every 3 to 6 months anyways.

What is wrong with keeping clothes that you want to keep and want to wear them later? We just might want to lose weight. The Government always bitch about Obseity problem. eh? :wink:

Ha ha, that is a whole 'nother problem.

Greegor · Postby **Greegor** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 2:19 pm

But hoarding is one of those "slippery slope" kind of complaints.

I lost photos, HS yearbook, birth certificate etc. because
of short term poverty in 1992. (Storage locker in Minneapolis)

I've had to buy various useful items like an
electric drill for the 3rd or 4th time.
People who are financially better off don't feel
that the same way that blue collar people do.
They can just spend the $50 again and it
doesn't bother them.

CPS people can apply their own subjective YUPPIE
standards and call ANY normal home cluttered.

This is part of why CLUTTER was struck down
by high courts as NOT A VALID REASON for child removal.

People who have power tools and repair parts
are not strictly hoarders.

The expression
"one man's trash is another man's treasure" applies
to how people subjectively judge somebody else's home.

YUPPIES would see every place where people
do actual WORK as cluttered.

Even the CPS offices are ...cluttered!

Sure, keeping clothes that somebody hopes
they can lose weight and fit into in the FUTURE
is clutter, but WHO IS JUDGING?

And WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS?

We accused CPS of applying YUPPY standards
to judging our Mobile Home in 2001.

We joked that they expected the place to look
like some Furniture Store SHOWROOM, a place
where people don't actually live.

This whole issue is an "emporer has no clothes"
issue where they just want you to feel insecure,
destabilize you, waste your time and make
you feel inferior to them.

We had a CITY building inpector through here
several months back.

I asked him about the standards.

He said that even THEY had to back off
on their standards because people's outlook
on household clutter VARIES WILDLY.
He said that building inspectors had gotten SUED
for knit picking and had to back off.

The landlord boasted that we must do
SOMETHING right because we have a cat
and there was not the faintest smell of it.

One attorney's office we saw had case files
stacked to the rafters, because he does WORK.
Fancier attorneys often have TWO offices, one
for show and one for the actual WORK.

Did you know that in the days of the Civil War
and beyond, that many homes had a
"front room" which was an elegant charade
intended for company? These rooms were
for the most part off limits for the family,
particularly the kids, when not entertaining.

Some people actually continue that tradition
having a "living room" people rarely enter
except when entertaining guests.

Experts could point to neat perfect homes
and complain that they are "lacking enrichment"
or too "antiseptic" and this argument probably
carries more actual weight than complaints about
household clutter as DANGEROUS!

CPS people try to use the reasoning of Chicken Little
to make cutter out to be DANGEROUS!

But they can't even DEFINE it officially!

They're deadly afraid to create STANDARDS
for home inspections because they would have
to stop using the old "we'll think of something later"
approach.

Kevin William Concannon, current Director
of Iowa DHS, and former Director of Maine DHS
(remember the death of Logam Marr?)
is famous for saying "Grab the children and run!".

Governor Vilsack said "When in doubt, take them out!".

Frustrated · Postby **Frustrated** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:53 pm

Too True.

I agree that CPS's Offices and Attorney's Offices are more cluttered with paperwork everywhere on their desks. It is not exactly showcase for their professional Offices. I have seen that they have only small toys in one areas for Kids, and nothing more. Then another room with "so called famous mirrored windows" with pictures on the wall with ahem! Emotions Pictures on the wall...happy, sad, crying, and all that. It is laughable and an INSULT to Families whereas they say it is NORMAL to have these Emotions. Then they would put in the Reports that the Mothers are abnormal for excessive crying.....and so forth. Others would put Mothers are stotic, unemotional or too emotional.

I would point out the pictures of the Emotions on the wall and she said it is NORMAL! Then I would have pointed it out to HER WHY she put in the REPORT that is is ABNORMAL to crying? :roll:

LOL for Crying Laughing OUT Loud! If they say these Emotions are NORMAL then put NEGATIVE Comments about YOU in the REPORTS, is LAUGHABLE AND A CONTRADICTION!

I remember I pointed it out, to why they had these stuff of EMOTIONS on the wall and asked them WHY they say it is NORMAL and would put the CONTRADICTIONS IN the REPORTS. They just said "I don't know". Then I just shook my head showing (of course an emotion of shame to them) and she would sheepily got red faced and clueless! It is pretty absurd sitting right there where the background theme is Emotions and she would sit right there saying that you are too emotional. Then I looked up uh? It is pretty embarrassing for her having to sit there with that theme!

Oh my goodness. I don't know if it is still there on the walls though. I would say that was an INSULT to FAMILIES while meeting at CPS Offices. :roll:

Marina · Postby **Marina** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:36 pm

Greegor, it sounds like a broken record, but it needs to be said over and over again.

This reminds me of the time when I was working in a church school. The facilities were used during the week for the private school and on Sunday for the church. The classrooms had many teacher-owned items, including goldfish. Sometimes, the rooms were trashed on Monday morning, brooms were missing from a classroom, etc.

A new interim pastor came, and he had no children. He blamed any messes on the school, and sent messages down to the teachers making ridicuous demands, like teachers had to leave a roomful of 3-yr-olds and go clean the toilets down the hall. He had a lock put on the kitchen, so I couldn't make juice for the kids without walking outside to the church office to get the key from him. One day, he was "down the hall" and it was rather embarrasing when I had to yell through the bathroom door that I needed the key to the kitchen. When the men's group had their dinner one night, they didn't have the key, so they simply tore the lock off the kitchen door.

At the end of the year, word came down that each teacher had to take home everything out of the classroom. He wanted the classrooms cleaned up and painted. The man never asked anybody questions to try to find out what was going on. One headmistress had resigned for a family emergency, so the job of being principle was being done by a teacher, who didn't know how to handle the situation. I supposed she consulted the school board, who themselves were probably caught between the church and the school.

So the teachers discussed the problem among themselves. There wasn't even any assurance about which teachers would be there the next year, and if they were, which rooms they would be in.

So one spunky young teacher told the man that he would need to sign a release if he wanted her to take school property to her little apartment, releasing her from any responsibility for storing or caring for school property, and stating that the church would assume all responsibility for it, or something to that effect. She never heard any more about it, and left her things in the classroom for the summer. The teacher I worked with had responsibility for not only the 3-yr-old room, but also the art room. By August, the rooms hadn't been painted yet, so she painted the rooms herself. The man got mad about that.

But this incident can give an idea for a strategy for dealing with CPS. If CPS doesn't like a person's business inventory, etc, then the worker should be willing to sign a release, assuming full responsibility for the loss, storage or care of that inventory. Maybe things could be sent by FEDEX to the agency for them to store and care for, using COD - cash on demand.

Or the parent could itemize a list and submit it to the insurance company, showing theft, and naming the worker as being responsible. I am sure the insurance company would like to do their own investigation. Family heirlooms can be quite valuable.

Frustrated · Postby **Frustrated** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:27 pm

Yes but what is wrong having CPS tell Family HOW to remedy the problem?! Have the CPS worker tell them how to clean up the house or even better, get a professional cleaning service and come in and clean up the house. This way, the removal of Children would not be necessary in the first place!

What's wrong having CPS Worker telling a Family these Steps 1, 2, 3, 4?

Oh, right...I just remembered. CPS is JUST a PROTECTIVE SERVICE!
Just how is the paper be dangerous to Children? perhaps a paper cut? :roll:

or god forbid some books? Toys? It is theirs! Why punish the Children for some little things on the floor? Excessive clutters just have to be organized and moved. It is not that hard to tell the Family to move it. Give like 24 to 72 hours for them to move it.

Why removal of Children for? It is ridiculous.

Greegor · Postby **Greegor** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:52 pm

You just can't meet standards that don't exist.

CPS agencies don't WANT official standards
for the inspections of homes because such
standards would prevent them from personality or
subjective judgements about clutter.

If they ever create official standards for home inspections
the biggest problem for CPS agencies is that
they would have to follow those standards EVEN
when a naive family throws away their 4th
amendment right by LETTING THE CASEWORKER IN.

(They work HARD to con people into letting them
in for those initial searches!)

THOSE searches right now are crucial for these agencies!

A LOT of people are still naive and let them in!
Not everybody knows to insist on a warrant and
make sure it is really signed by a Judge.

They DID try a court ordered home inspection
on us and when we studied it we realized it
was an illegal search warrant because it
LACKED SPECIFICS. Especially since my SO filed
several court pleadings requesting STANDARDS
for home inspections.

Think about how ROTTEN it is that they
called it a Court Order For Home Inspection
when it should have been called a SEARCH WARRANT.

Certainly a Judge should KNOW BETTER!

Marina · Postby **Marina** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:10 pm

Good point.

Frustrated · Postby **Frustrated** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:20 pm

Yes they do try threaten to get inside the House. It is RIDICULOUS when they just have seen my house 5 times already. If they seen it and said it is in order. Why the reason to see it for? If they wanted to see the Kids to be sure they are "safe", bring them to the window and wave!

I have had one Caseworker saying she wanted to get inside because it was too hot outside. We were under the roof of the Porch and it is cool enough to sit outside on the porch but she insisted on it. I said no. Talk out here on my lovely porch, we have chairs and table for you to sit and talk. She grimmaced and grins, and say "Ok.....then".

Momof31995 · Postby **Momof31995** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:42 am

I actually asked a CPS worker if her home was perfectly clean like she wanted mine and he response was "No my house doesnt have to be clean i live in the ghetto." those were her exact words....i was so shocked i wish i had a tape recorder for that convo.

Frustrated · Postby **Frustrated** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:59 am

Yeah I asked the Caseworker and her lovely Companion Cop, the same thing. She said "Oh your House is really Clean than mine, wow." then she adds "Oh my house is messy and I didn't have the time to clean it as you can obviously know that I am working on my job right now in front of you."

Just like rubbing her nose in it. Then her bodyguard Cop said "Oh yes, your house is pretty fairly clean than mine too." then she said "I have 14 yrs old Teenager Daughter at home that always would make a mess everywhere."

Ha ha ha!! Since when it is legal for the Cop and the Caseworker to agree on anything much less than their house together? :shock:

Is it even legal and professional to talk about their own thing on the Job? I don't' think so. :roll:

I know and can remember part of their Manual or Suggestions from the Director is not to talk about their past histories or their personal information to a Client. You know? Keeping it Professional and leaving Emotions out of it.

Pretty unreal when I saw first hand that they both just laughing outside commenting why they are there and about my Case. Are they even allowed to discuss personal info. about me and my Family to each other? :shock:

Why is it that they always laugh every time they are working? It is not even funny when a Family gets a CPS Case. They even laugh in Court and mingling with that Amigo Judge. Well they shouldn't be laughing. It is not EVEN PROFESSIONAL! In fact it is pretty immature and childish. :roll:

kdddav'swife · Postby **kdddav'swife** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:08 pm

Got the issue today at Walmart! At least you look like you are smiling for the camera !

trappedinwreakage · Postby **trappedinwreakage** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:45 pm

Wow !
Well, we have lots of stuff but not clutter on the floors. I have a shop and lots of tools and had a few old car projects going on. The shelves and cabinet tops in the house are full but everything is organized. Probably the reason I did not get put through any of this was because I looked them in the eye in court and said "I hope your all happy with the end results of your actions". I refused to do any services and I moved my daughters mother out of this house and put them in an apartment. I told her mother "you gotta go get her out of thier custody" No charges were brought against her mother and its a darn good thing. So in effect they split up the family as per their intentions and we drained the bank accounts ... which we would have anyhow, I just did it at my will not theirs. I didnt care (at the time) I didnt want the family back in the condition they turned it into anyhow. I looked the judge in the eye in court and said "its not my family anymore it belongs to them" and I pointed to that side of the courtroom ......... you all know the side Im talking about.

These are power crazed people that wield their wrath on anyone they can bully. They have alterior motives.
Daddy didnt get them the prom dress they wanted
They are unable to have children of their own for medical reasons.
They cant find a mate that wants to keep them because they are so miserable about themselves that they dish out abusive behavior to anyone that comes into their path.
The reasons are endless but the main objective is that they want to watch people dance to their tune, picture the old cowboy films where the guy with the pistol says "dance" and starts shooting at a mans feet ............... well that my friends is the mentality of a CPS worker.

All I can figure is there is this criteria that must be met to get hired by a state agency.
1. Must not be capable of independent thought
2. Must be searching for the ultimate power trip

"dance my little puppets dance"

I said -----> "NO !"

They look nervous in my presence now. I run into them out and about, I can see them for what they are, they are not invisible, very transparent infact. They will all come to their judgment day ... tic toc, tic toc.

"What goes around comes around" - words to live by, I have learned the hard way, so will others. Karma baby

How do you spell abuse ? -----------------> C P S

Frustrated · Postby **Frustrated** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:04 pm

I do believe that to be true. It happened to me.

I hear them always threaten:

"IF you don't agree to the Services, we will remove your Kids".

That is the same mentality that you describe the cowboy films, shooting at the feet "dance, come on, dance" That is how they do it, with THREATS.

Yes, they will face Judgement Day, I am just glad it won't be me.
I do believe "What goes around, will come back to them." It will happen some day.

trappedinwreakage · Postby **trappedinwreakage** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:34 pm

anxiousmom : I read your story after I posted, sorry.

This is a problem, reading it I realized I have a touch of that problem myself. I had 6 old car projects going on at the same time. I did work on them, many hours of labor, I had a parts storage area, all organized but none the less a nightmare. Instead of finishing one car and moving to the other I had them all going on at the same time, I never finished any of them. Then this thing with CPS and my daughter took place and I lost interest in everything I once loved, that was over two years ago. Last summer I finally threw my arms up in the air and got rid of everything, sent it to the junk yard because I could feel the weight of the unfinished projects always on my shoulders, I had so much to do and not enough time left in my life to ever do them. Though I did feel the weight of this gone after I "cleaned house" (shop) I did feel a sense of failure because I did not finish what I set out to do. So now I struggle with that failure and remind myself of the weight that comes with all the baggage and know I am better off without it and look forward to easier, less stressful and less burdened remaining years. Cause one day all these "things" will not mean a thing, what counts is how we live life today, its all about the quality of life.

when less ... is more ......... :wink:

Frustrated · Postby **Frustrated** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:56 pm

It does make you think about how precious the Children are, how precious Family is, and how precious the Time is...let's not waste it and focus on it, fighting back and so forth. We shouldn't invest so much time on stuff that don't mean anything to us. We don't want to live full of regrets right? That's why...take your time and hug your Children and not to be so busy on other things.

I think that's what CPS are doing to Families, is to be more consumed into this wrath. It does consume you and makes you emotionally distraught and worn out. But to remember our targets to get these Children back is fighting back and not giving up.

fightcps.com

My CPS story is featured some in Readers Digest

My CPS story is featured some in Readers Digest

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