PP School Counselor: Yes, I have my own children, and I also work in a low socio-economic school. That’s just me, we also have a social worker and other counselors who make reports as well. Some years have more than others (especially the 1-2 years after Covid). Also depends on the caseload that year and what grade I have.

Before any report is made, it goes through a school administrator and social worker so we can collaborate and make sure the concern meets the criteria for reporting.

If a call is screened out, at least I know it has been logged. If a concern arises in the future, even after the child leaves my school, there is already a record that may make a later report more likely to be taken. Sometimes the calls I feel are more questionable but still reportable end up being the ones taken most seriously. I'm in middle school so I think more calls are picked up in elementary. Or I have students that were removed in elementary but are back with their parents by the time they make it to middle.

It’s not my job to determine whether abuse is happening, that is CPS’s job. My responsibility as a mandated reporter is to take claims of abuse seriously and report them to the appropriate authorities.

In my 20 years in this role, only once has a child actually been removed from a family. Most of the time, a social worker checks in with the family for a set period of time, and parenting support is offered or required.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not consulting a lawyer after a CPS visit is an even bigger alarm bell.

I don't know why some of you all do not realize that CPS investigations are not supposed to be routine and referrals are not supposed to be casual.

They have the power to take your child from you without much oversight or appeal. It's not a parking ticket where the worst case scenario is a small fine. The power that CPS has is more consequential, on an individual basis, than either Congress or the President.

It's a very serious matter regardless of the validity of the referral. All it takes is one bad mid-level bureacurat to permanently destroy your life.

This is way way alarmist. And most of what you say is simply not true.

Name one thing in it that's not true.

All of it.
1. ‘Not consulting a lawyer after a cps visit is an ‘alarm bell’. Who would this be an alarm bell to exactly? Genuinely curious.

2. ‘Investigations are not routine and referrals not casual.’ This doesn’t even make sense. Of course investigations are not routine but many cases are started by mandatory reporters who have no discretion, and most of these cases are closed. With behavioral issues and mandatory reporters involved, things get reported all the time. It’s not even clear to me from OPs post that Cps decided to make a visit from the counselors report. She’s actually never said that.

3. Cps is not ‘more powerful than the president or congress’. That’s too nuts to even try to explain.

4. Cps has tons of oversight and standards and there absolutely is a court process - due process - including a robust appeals process. Courts want families to stay together and will suggest all sorts of support services.

I’ll admit that if a parent is a POC, poor and uses drugs, as example, there can be minefields to deal with- although the system has been working hard to handle these sorts of cases more humanely- but in general OP should not worry her child will be thrown in foster care. Shes obviously stressed enough without people like you chiming in with poor information

Telling someone NOT to consult a lawyer is always a red flag and objectively bad advice. It doesn't even matter what the subject is.

A CPS referral is not like a dental check up. The power disparity is real and CPS is given the benefit of the doubt. Even if nothing comes of it the fact that it even happened means it was entered into the system and could have negative consequences down the line.

You left out the modifying clause of on an individual basis. Neither Congress nor the President has the power to take a child away from their parents.

While something is winding its way through court the child in question is placed in foster care. That's not a small inconvenience and the costs, both mental and financial, associated with fighting it are large.


It is always a good idea to know your rights. It is always a good idea to protect yourself from the beginning. Good intentions are irrelevant because it is very difficult to fix a mistake once one happens.

Anonymous wrote:I’m a school counselor and in my 20 years I’ve made about 4–5 reports per year. Roughly half of those have been “screened in” and taken by CPS, while the others were simply logged in case additional reports come in later. Not every report leads to an investigation.

However, as mandated reporters (and based on the many trainings I’ve attended that were led by Child Protective Services) we are strongly encouraged to err on the side of caution and make the report when there is concern. Once the report is made, the decision about whether it is taken or investigated is out of our hands.

Personally, I would much rather sleep at night knowing that I did everything I could to help keep a child safe, even if that means risking being seen as overzealous. And those call aren't fun to make.

Do you have your own kids? Do you work in a low socioeconomic area. 5 a year seems like a lot even for a counselor, particularly since half aren’t taken in.

I’m a school counselor and in my 20 years I’ve made about 4–5 reports per year. Roughly half of those have been “screened in” and taken by CPS, while the others were simply logged in case additional reports come in later. Not every report leads to an investigation.

However, as mandated reporters (and based on the many trainings I’ve attended that were led by Child Protective Services) we are strongly encouraged to err on the side of caution and make the report when there is concern. Once the report is made, the decision about whether it is taken or investigated is out of our hands.

Personally, I would much rather sleep at night knowing that I did everything I could to help keep a child safe, even if that means risking being seen as overzealous. And those call aren't fun to make.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had similar happen with a younger child which did lead to a CPS visit but nothing came of it. Lesson learned, no more school counselors or other do gooders.
If the teen is misbehaving and otherwise causing the family trouble, some CPS involvement might be a good thing. Teen learns the lesson, even if they are temporarily removed they get foster care benefits for college (but they won’t be removed because there was no abuse).
All in all, it’s much ado about nothing but don’t use school counselors again. They are inexperienced and are trying to cover their necks at all costs, always over reporting

The over-zealous counselors at MCPS don't need your permission. My friend found out that her son was seeing the counselor at Bethesda Elementary regularly without her knowledge. She called the school and was told she would only be informed on an "as needed" basis. I told her son, right in front of her, that if any adult tells you not to tell your parents something then that means they're doing something wrong. Isn't that child safety 101? Shame on MCPS for trying to get a child to keep a secret from parents. The principal at BE at that time was a nut job. I think she's still there and will be until she drops dead.

PP you responded to.
What made it worse I was the one who sought help, because an I expected her was acting like my son is majorly misbehaving and I was a first time mom and going thru divorce.

It is horrible that they don’t tell the parents anything.

Anonymous wrote:I was a foster parent a while ago. We had a placement of just a few days. The kids were put in foster care when their mom asked for emergency help from her abusive husband. The very young, very new social worker thought they should be put in foster care for 30 days because the mother was neglectful -- she had run out of the apartment during a domestic violence episode and not taken the kid's prescription skin cream tube. It IS scary that people like that are out there. To her, she was doing her job. But with zero common sense or life experience.

Those kids were returned to their mother after about a week instead of overnight, which was what she needed. At least they were returned to her.

The social worker should have helped her get the prescription and into a Dr shelter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not consulting a lawyer after a CPS visit is an even bigger alarm bell.

I don't know why some of you all do not realize that CPS investigations are not supposed to be routine and referrals are not supposed to be casual.

They have the power to take your child from you without much oversight or appeal. It's not a parking ticket where the worst case scenario is a small fine. The power that CPS has is more consequential, on an individual basis, than either Congress or the President.

It's a very serious matter regardless of the validity of the referral. All it takes is one bad mid-level bureacurat to permanently destroy your life.

This is way way alarmist. And most of what you say is simply not true.

Name one thing in it that's not true.

All of it.
1. ‘Not consulting a lawyer after a cps visit is an ‘alarm bell’. Who would this be an alarm bell to exactly? Genuinely curious.

2. ‘Investigations are not routine and referrals not casual.’ This doesn’t even make sense. Of course investigations are not routine but many cases are started by mandatory reporters who have no discretion, and most of these cases are closed. With behavioral issues and mandatory reporters involved, things get reported all the time. It’s not even clear to me from OPs post that Cps decided to make a visit from the counselors report. She’s actually never said that.

3. Cps is not ‘more powerful than the president or congress’. That’s too nuts to even try to explain.

4. Cps has tons of oversight and standards and there absolutely is a court process - due process - including a robust appeals process. Courts want families to stay together and will suggest all sorts of support services.

I’ll admit that if a parent is a POC, poor and uses drugs, as example, there can be minefields to deal with- although the system has been working hard to handle these sorts of cases more humanely- but in general OP should not worry her child will be thrown in foster care. Shes obviously stressed enough without people like you chiming in with poor information

Kinda, but the system is bias and professionals can distort the truth.