A Question

This came to me from the LK Submission Form
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I need some advice, my 5 year old went to school and told a lie,the principal said she called CPS because she is mandated to do so the police came to our home and found no wrong doing, but the Social worker says that she needs more background information and she can come to our home at any time any day, and she is allowed to go to the school and speak to my child w/o a parent being there(she already did)she kept asking me questions about my husband that I would not answer because I feel that it is not my place to and all this is over a pencil pricking my sons hand while him and his dad were roughhousing on the floor, i have this feeling that we will be railroaded it has already spread through the school and our neighborhood,CPS workers seem to let the true abusers get away with it and the good parents go through hell for no reason. does anyone have any insight on how I should handle this. I would appreciate any input.

Thank You
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Unfortunately, it's kind of a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. On the one hand, a child protective investigation is a very frightening experience for any parent so there might be the inclination to refuse to submit. On the other hand, refusal to submit could lead to instant removal if the worker thinks that you're trying to hide something. That said, approximately 70% of child abuse/neglect investigations are closed as unsubstantiated.

Unfortunately accidents do happen. CPS has often lost sight of that.
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I also shared this question with another Family Rights Advocate. (no names or anything) Here's what she has to say.

It seems you have been indoctrinated into the world of Legally Kidnapped. Your reach for information is what is considered by Child Protective Services as level one for grounds of removal because you fail to comply with what they wish.

Here are some basic tips for what seems to become a significant era in your life. Document everything. I cannot stress the importance of dates, times, places, names, and events. Start a file cabinet. You will be maintaining files for any and all contact you have with CPS. Find out who the Director and the Supervisor of the CPS worker is and do not feel limited in contacting them to file a formal written grievance about the questionable activities of the worker and your discomfort with her professional deportment. When you send this letter, keep copies to be filed and carbon copy at the ending of the letter to other individuals such as your state representative and you U.S. Congressperson.

At no time shall you loose your cool. Generate a list of everyone you know who will support you. This list will include your religious leaders, teachers and principals, store owners, apartment managers, etc. Then, you will be getting to know your state government, elected and appointed officials, including civil servants. Construct a list of their mailing addresses, emails, phone numbers. Within your state human services department, you will need to know the Director, the policy makers, the ombudsman, licensing, and complaints division. Move next onto your state attorney general office. Find out the consumer complaint division. Collect information on your local prosecutor and the attorney grievance commission. You will need to prepare to file complaints to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Division. Become quite liberal in your communications with the federal entities. Send letters to the President.

If you do not get swift response with your letter requesting a newly assigned CPS worker to close out the investigation, start writing letters to the aforementioned entities and make sure everyone gets a copy for each letter you send. This will become mass mailing.

In essence, your life has now become public so enjoy the limelight. What you are about to experience is what has been sequestered from the public purview since the funding streams began to poor in under CAPTA. There is no transparency and there is no accountability. Simply put, CPS can do whatever they want and nobody will ever know…until now. Hold them to the same standards they hold you. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspapers. Find a reporter to do a story on you. Contact you television station. Start a blog. Run for political office. You have been chosen. Be honored. Expose.

Blanche

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For more information on what you should know when dealing with CPS workers...

DSS Dirty Tricks from Mass Outrage.

Especially Dirty Trick's # 2 and 4.