CPS Investigation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people have had this... Its stressful but ultimately necessary to have such a system

No, it is not necessary to have a system with a hair-trigger for removing kids from the home.

In answer to your question OP - I knew someone who had a false Shaken Baby accusation made against them. Preemie twins, one had a brain bleed at home that is common in prematurity. The ER doctor saw this as a per se sign of child abuse and referred to CPS. This was a wealthy, professional family. Thankfully they had the resources to fight this, and the babies were never removed from the home to fostercare. I think the babies went to the grandparents, and one parent (the one who was not home at the time of the brain bleed) was allowed visitation. Once it was sorted out, the family literally left the US to never return because it was so scarring.

I knew a family who, when putting the baby to bed one night, found a bump on the back of his head. Took the child to the ER and the doctor called CPS immediately. They took the child into protective custody for two weeks. They were all interviewed and it turned out the nanny dropped the baby and never told the parents. That family, especially the mother, was traumatized. She quit her job to be a SAHM and they never had another kid. It's awful

I don’t understand. How is CPS in the wrong in any way here? Their investigation turned up that the nanny dropped the baby and never told the parents. If not for CPS and the doctor who called the baby could have suffered from more neglect from that caregiver. I’m sure it was traumatizing but this story illustrates why we need CPS and why we have mandatory reporters.

But the right way to handle this was to take the baby from its parents for 2 weeks??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people have had this... Its stressful but ultimately necessary to have such a system

No, it is not necessary to have a system with a hair-trigger for removing kids from the home.

In answer to your question OP - I knew someone who had a false Shaken Baby accusation made against them. Preemie twins, one had a brain bleed at home that is common in prematurity. The ER doctor saw this as a per se sign of child abuse and referred to CPS. This was a wealthy, professional family. Thankfully they had the resources to fight this, and the babies were never removed from the home to fostercare. I think the babies went to the grandparents, and one parent (the one who was not home at the time of the brain bleed) was allowed visitation. Once it was sorted out, the family literally left the US to never return because it was so scarring.

I knew a family who, when putting the baby to bed one night, found a bump on the back of his head. Took the child to the ER and the doctor called CPS immediately. They took the child into protective custody for two weeks. They were all interviewed and it turned out the nanny dropped the baby and never told the parents. That family, especially the mother, was traumatized. She quit her job to be a SAHM and they never had another kid. It's awful

You are writing pure fantasy.

DP. If only she were! This is very, very common. Especially for poor people/black people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people have had this... Its stressful but ultimately necessary to have such a system

No, it is not necessary to have a system with a hair-trigger for removing kids from the home.

In answer to your question OP - I knew someone who had a false Shaken Baby accusation made against them. Preemie twins, one had a brain bleed at home that is common in prematurity. The ER doctor saw this as a per se sign of child abuse and referred to CPS. This was a wealthy, professional family. Thankfully they had the resources to fight this, and the babies were never removed from the home to fostercare. I think the babies went to the grandparents, and one parent (the one who was not home at the time of the brain bleed) was allowed visitation. Once it was sorted out, the family literally left the US to never return because it was so scarring.

I knew a family who, when putting the baby to bed one night, found a bump on the back of his head. Took the child to the ER and the doctor called CPS immediately. They took the child into protective custody for two weeks. They were all interviewed and it turned out the nanny dropped the baby and never told the parents. That family, especially the mother, was traumatized. She quit her job to be a SAHM and they never had another kid. It's awful

You are writing pure fantasy.

DP. If only she were! This is very, very common. Especially for poor people/black people.

Thank you. I *wish* what I wrote was fantasy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people have had this... Its stressful but ultimately necessary to have such a system

No, it is not necessary to have a system with a hair-trigger for removing kids from the home.

In answer to your question OP - I knew someone who had a false Shaken Baby accusation made against them. Preemie twins, one had a brain bleed at home that is common in prematurity. The ER doctor saw this as a per se sign of child abuse and referred to CPS. This was a wealthy, professional family. Thankfully they had the resources to fight this, and the babies were never removed from the home to fostercare. I think the babies went to the grandparents, and one parent (the one who was not home at the time of the brain bleed) was allowed visitation. Once it was sorted out, the family literally left the US to never return because it was so scarring.

I knew a family who, when putting the baby to bed one night, found a bump on the back of his head. Took the child to the ER and the doctor called CPS immediately. They took the child into protective custody for two weeks. They were all interviewed and it turned out the nanny dropped the baby and never told the parents. That family, especially the mother, was traumatized. She quit her job to be a SAHM and they never had another kid. It's awful

I don’t understand. How is CPS in the wrong in any way here? Their investigation turned up that the nanny dropped the baby and never told the parents. If not for CPS and the doctor who called the baby could have suffered from more neglect from that caregiver. I’m sure it was traumatizing but this story illustrates why we need CPS and why we have mandatory reporters.

Because there need to be more signs of neglect/abuse before you take a child away from its parents -- it's fundamental due process. Taking an infant away from its parents is about as extreme a deprivation of a fundamental right as one can imagine. It cannot be done on textbook definitions of "see this clinical finding, call CPS."

Just to give you a contrast about how good medical professionals handle this stuff:

My child (8) has bruises all over his legs because during DL he runs all over the house and bangs into stuff because he's antsy, and because he knocks his shins against his bike when he carries it up the stairs. I didn't really think much of it. When he went in for his well visit, his pediatrician said "Oh, I see all those bruises ... that's because you are a growing boy and running around!" I immediately told her yes, about the banging into furniture and the bike. She is very reasonable and observant, and she knows that parents don't bring in an abused child for their flu shot and well visit in the middle of a pandemic with zero concern for the doctor seeing the bruises.

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid, police appeared in the middle of the night with an order to remove a child from the home. It turned out that they were one floor up from the apartment they were supposed to be in, but it was terrifying to me as a child and I like would have been taken from the home if not for my father screaming at them repeatedly that he had a right to see the order (he is an attorney and knew his rights). It took almost an hour from them to backdown and admit they were at the wrong apartment number and we had a different name.

FWIW we never brought it up with the family that they were really there for (we didn't really know them well and it seemed too awkward), but the kid was definitely with the family during church the next week (and thereafter) so it was either an error or they decided not to pursue it. The idea that serving this kind of order at 2 am when dealing with a young child (I was about 6) would ever be a good idea is mystifying to me.

[Anonymous]

I know a black family that pulled themselves out of poverty. Bought a house in Chicago.
Child was diagnosed w lead poisoning. CPS eventually told parents the ultimatum was kid has to be moved out or they'll place kid elsewhere in lead free home. They lost all their equity and it totally destroyed the family.

[Anonymous]

CPS was called on my sister because she wasn't dressing my niece properly for school.

They were right. My sister wasn't putting warm enough clothing on my niece or giving her jackets.

My sister is bipolar and a terrible parent. I'm glad someone called CPS.

The children were never removed from the home. And my sister started buying them some d-mn clothes.

Not all CPS stories are horror stories.

Though whoever was concerned would have been kinder to give her a jacket instead of calling CPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a black family that pulled themselves out of poverty. Bought a house in Chicago.
Child was diagnosed w lead poisoning. CPS eventually told parents the ultimatum was kid has to be moved out or they'll place kid elsewhere in lead free home. They lost all their equity and it totally destroyed the family.

CPS was right to tell them to find a safe home for the child. Lead poisoning causes major brain damage. Not their fault the family hadn't assured the family home was safe.

[Anonymous]

I was an ER nurse for many years. Sadly, I have seen quite a few of these occurrences! I vividly remember standing with a pediatric resident, both of us begging a CPS worker not to take the child, that it was clear they were making a mistake(which they were). The screams of that mother haunted me for a long time.....

[Anonymous]

I have seen many instances where CPS has totally dropped the ball and kept dismissing clear instances of abuse and neglect, and I hope that some day, those kids come back and sue the county for not helping them. All we can do is keep phoning in what we see and being honest about our concerns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are not common situations. Far more common that children who should be removed aren’t and have to stay in an abusive or neglectful situation.

I was a foster parent a long time ago. I once had a placement of three kids whose mom had been forced to leave their father late at night because he was beating her. The emergency shelter would only take adults so the kids were put into foster care overnight. They stayed with me for two weeks. The social worker didn't want to return them, even though the mother hadn't done anything wrong. The social worker said she was not a fit mom because she hadn't packed the eczema cream of one of the children as she was fleeing her abusive husband.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Listen to the Podcast Do No Harm if you really want to lose sleep over this.

I’m three episodes in and I cannot for the life of me understand why these people tried to deal with CPS without a lawyer. Don’t ever do this.

[Anonymous]

We had someone call CPS on us out of "revenge." It was so obvious it was her and the CPS worker saw right through it as well. She (CPS worker) contacted us and we spoke with her on the phone, and she told us not to worry because it wasn't going any further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people have had this... Its stressful but ultimately necessary to have such a system

No, it is not necessary to have a system with a hair-trigger for removing kids from the home.

In answer to your question OP - I knew someone who had a false Shaken Baby accusation made against them. Preemie twins, one had a brain bleed at home that is common in prematurity. The ER doctor saw this as a per se sign of child abuse and referred to CPS. This was a wealthy, professional family. Thankfully they had the resources to fight this, and the babies were never removed from the home to fostercare. I think the babies went to the grandparents, and one parent (the one who was not home at the time of the brain bleed) was allowed visitation. Once it was sorted out, the family literally left the US to never return because it was so scarring.

I knew a family who, when putting the baby to bed one night, found a bump on the back of his head. Took the child to the ER and the doctor called CPS immediately. They took the child into protective custody for two weeks. They were all interviewed and it turned out the nanny dropped the baby and never told the parents. That family, especially the mother, was traumatized. She quit her job to be a SAHM and they never had another kid. It's awful

I don’t understand. How is CPS in the wrong in any way here? Their investigation turned up that the nanny dropped the baby and never told the parents. If not for CPS and the doctor who called the baby could have suffered from more neglect from that caregiver. I’m sure it was traumatizing but this story illustrates why we need CPS and why we have mandatory reporters.

They took a baby away from its parents for two weeks.

[Anonymous]

Getting rid of qualified immunity would solve so many of these problems- people would be less cavalier of being wrong had real consequences