Searching for safety net to prevent future false reporting to CPS

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Qu1ana
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 8:05 pm

Searching for safety net to prevent future false reporting to CPS

Postby Qu1ana » Wed May 03, 2017 5:23 pm

I am a single mother of mixed race. My son is considered, black, by his school. As he is the only person there of his nationality, bullies have brought it to his attention he is different.

I am a college educated women holding 2 degrees. I've raised my son with high education standards. He is currently a 1st grader with 3-5th grade academic scores.

I have been struggling with a divorce, going on 2 years in court and still dealing with lawyers, maintaining my health from the marital abuse has been difficult.

I have a strong suspicion that my current circumstances, of low/no income and low family/friend support, has made the school administration feel at liberty to treat my son and I however they wish.

The schools principal and superintendent have their children also in the same class as my son.

I feel my advocacy of getting my son more challenging work as well as requesting more to be done to stop the bullying as made them start pointing fingers toward home life.

It is apparent by many incidents that they have an underlying problem with my son being smarter than their children.

I have my son involved in the regular clubs at the local and not so local libraries (in 3 different counties). Art and Chess weekly. Writing, reading, and cooking clubs monthly. We do STEM projects at home. I also have him enrolled in a gifted and talented course on the internet for Math and Language Arts.

I study, read and research health topics daily as I do my best to change our diet to gluten free vegan. The lasted documentary I watched was "Half the Sky". We have a Bible group a few times a week.

All This, I mention to give a small snap shot.

So, the BIG deal is, I can't seem to get over the fact that my sons guidance counselor can call CPS on me without consequences.

I wrote an email to my sons teacher. It informed her of my sons continued bullying problem on the bus and that I would be parent pick up until it was resolved.

It turned out my doctors appointment, of no fault of my own, held me longer than expected and I was not going to be able to pick him up for the earlier parent pick up time.

I called the office to inform them, he needed to get on the bus. I asked for the teacher to please help my son with coping skills to deal with the bully on the bus. I also spoke with the Transportation office for a solution of maybe moving his seat.

So, he was on the bus and I picked him up from bus stop.

The next day, I waited at bus stop. He was not on the bus. My heart dropped when the bus driver said he wasn't on the bus. I called the school right away. They said he was in office and that I was suppose to pick him up.

They continued to make blaming statements and ask weather he was going to be parent pick up or not. I informed them, I would talk when I get there and did not want to figure this out while I am driving to the school.

When I arrived at the school, the guidance counselor asked to talk. This is the first time she has talked to me in her office or for any length of time since my son has been in their school. I immediately started to explain my point of view, which included the thought that between the teacher, office, and transportation personnel, the problem was solved and my son would have no problem on the bus. So I assumed he would be on the bus. She then interpreted my haste in explanation as incoherent.

I continued to explain, I am only one person and have many tasks to tend to. She continued to be questioning as my capability to drive or needing assistance to hospital.

How absurd, I'm thinking. Just because I'm talking fast and am just wanting to clear up this miss understanding as quickly as possible? I've got mail and deli meat to pick up. I've got dinner to make. I've got homework and bath time to oversee, and an 8pm bedtime. Come on. Not to mention being on my period. Come on.

So, this didn't end there.

My son didn't want to attend school the next day and I didn't make him. I called his doctor for an appointment to discuss my sons anxiety with school.

As my son and I were about to drive off, before 10am, I see a car pull up. It's the guidance counselor. She comes to the window and asks my son if he is alright. She asks me where I'm going. She proceeds to follow me, however I had to get gas, which I didn't think to mention. I didn't know she was going to be following me to make sure I was telling the truth. But I needed gas and I was going to get my son a breakfast sandwich. So I wasn't going to bypass that just so she can see I was telling the truth.

Anyway, this is when she goes back to the school and calls CPS. (I found out out later when the worker read the complaint called in).

So, this on top of learning the principal called my sons doctor. For what? I haven't found out yet. But that day she informed me that he called and left a message for her to call him back.

So, now, the next day, around 5pm CPS is at my door.
I was in my bath robe, and in bed early. I told them they had to come back the next day. After going to their car to ask a supervisor permission, he says ok they would come back.

I asked a few friends, from Bible study group, to please be at my home in morning. I am uncomfortable being alone with 2 men strangers first of all. Second, I'm tired of being treated rudely because I am alone and no witnesses.

They came. The workers came. The took everyone's name and they started the interview. They informed me they had already spoke with my son at school. They read me the complaint the guidance counselor reported. Most of it, if not all, was misconstrued, not accurate and just wrong.

I only clarified a few of the points, maybe not enough, but would have been tidious to nitpick every word. I informed him of the consistent bullying. I should have showed him the winter hat that would be more damaged after each incident with the bully. I notified him of having paperwork to back up any school absences, I have emails of trying to get help for my son, etc...

He brought up my illnesses. I signed release forms that he was prepared with, to allow him to investigate my medication and my mental health treatment.

Days after, I had my doctor give me a drug test, just so I'd be ready, in case they went that far and so I would have proof.

Back to the interview, so, he asks me to show him the house. I take him around. I didn't do much to prepare for that. But, I felt, why should I have to take down my projects and put my stuff away because of this? This is disrupting my life as it is.

The extra physical pain and mental strain was very inconvenient to say the least!

I had power, my toilet flushed, my son had clothes in his dresser and closet. I had just taken down his art gallery and packet up a lot of his toy, so the case worker missed seeing all of that. So, am I penalized for not have the quantity of belongings? My son has issues with cleaning up. I pack up and put in shed the toys he uses the least, and will rotate them out. I cleared the art for preparation of his new art. Does the worker know this? No.

What is the worker thinking? Is there something wrong with my household?

I don't have a conventional bed. I sleep on a mattress on the floor. Which was standing against the wall, outside of my room. Why? I set up my photography equipment in my room. It looked like a photo studio, with lights and back drops and all. Why? Because I'm out of work, I'm a photographer, my degree is in Visual Arts and I'm trying to build a fresh body of work.

What is he thinking? I don't know. I start getting nervous, like, I wonder what he might think about that. I told him product photography, I'm trying to sell my clothes also so I was taking photos of that.

Who knows what he thought?

Anyway, he didn't say anything.

They left.

Weeks later. This issue hanging over my head. The one thing, being an awesome mother, one thing I knew I would do the best at. Now in question. Now being challenged. Now being... I'm so furious, someone who has no idea of the magnitude of my dedication and love for my son, could do this to my family.

To Be Continued...

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