Checking References -- Call Maryland Child Protective Services

[Anonymous]

Yes. Always background check potential employers. You never know who has a criminal record.

[Anonymous]

Maybe this will help you all better understand the issues of disclosure in CPS proceedings in every state. There is a lot of misinformation being thrown around here.

https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/confide.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm embarrassed of the people posting this site. The OP just sent everybody a safety reminder, and you are all on her back about how she unjustly fired a nanny? I am a nanny and if I ever did something unsafe I would expect to be fired. I'm in charge of children's lives. Shame on all of you for talking down to this woman. People like you are why horrible behavior goes unreported or why people don't want to get involved

If the firing was just, there'd be no shame in OP saying why. Why do you think she's hiding the facts? No one should protect the "privacy" of an abuser. Unless of course, there was no abuse.

OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe this will help you all better understand the issues of disclosure in CPS proceedings in every state. There is a lot of misinformation being thrown around here.

https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/confide.pdf

Thank you for providing this document. But considering it's 79 pages, could you please let us know if OP knows what she's talking about, or not.

[Anonymous]

Maybe this will help you all better understand the issues of disclosure in CPS proceedings in every state. There is a lot of misinformation being thrown around here.

https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/confide.pdf

Thank you for providing this document. But considering it's 79 pages, could you please let us know if OP knows what she's talking about, or not.

Basically, no, she doesn't know what she is talking about. As for the document, the first six pages explains everything. The remainder is a state by state breakdown of disclosure laws...not something you'd want to read, except to scroll to your particular state.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some of you know how CPS really works. It does not operate with the ideal setting of "someone calls CPS because nanny smacked charge so hard she fell over and broke her arm. There is only 1 witness to this (the one who called CPS). Nanny and child both lie about what happened. Cops believe the one witness, arrest nanny, and she's easily tried and convicted". Rather it is more like. enough claims against a person or severe harm to a child will warrant something more thorough than a simple investigation. I've lost count of how many children repeatedly show up in the ER with suspicion injuries and even classical abuse injuries. And every single time I report it. The only time a parent has ever been arrested after one report was when the child was brought to the ER in such a bad state that it was clear the father had abused and neglected the child over a long period of time.

your post is heartbreaking and difficult to read. basically, a child must be abused a lot and for a long time before law enforcement intervene. I read a while ago of a little child, I think in Maryland, who died of abuse. the article said that the child had ended up as an infant in the ER already with injuries, but nothing was done. unfortunatelly, the last time the child was abused was fatal, and now the dad is in prison. I could not believe that nothing could be done BEFORE the child was dead. I undertand these cases are difficult (children fall all the time and a broken arm does not necessarily means that the child was abused), but still.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some of you know how CPS really works. It does not operate with the ideal setting of "someone calls CPS because nanny smacked charge so hard she fell over and broke her arm. There is only 1 witness to this (the one who called CPS). Nanny and child both lie about what happened. Cops believe the one witness, arrest nanny, and she's easily tried and convicted". Rather it is more like. enough claims against a person or severe harm to a child will warrant something more thorough than a simple investigation. I've lost count of how many children repeatedly show up in the ER with suspicion injuries and even classical abuse injuries. And every single time I report it. The only time a parent has ever been arrested after one report was when the child was brought to the ER in such a bad state that it was clear the father had abused and neglected the child over a long period of time.

your post is heartbreaking and difficult to read. basically, a child must be abused a lot and for a long time before law enforcement intervene. I read a while ago of a little child, I think in Maryland, who died of abuse. the article said that the child had ended up as an infant in the ER already with injuries, but nothing was done. unfortunatelly, the last time the child was abused was fatal, and now the dad is in prison. I could not believe that nothing could be done BEFORE the child was dead. I undertand these cases are difficult (children fall all the time and a broken arm does not necessarily means that the child was abused), but still.

Yup, its shitty (for lack of a better term). I'm sure there are instances that aren't as bad as what I've experienced, but my whole idea of CPS is very tainted (granted I also understand the difficulties in proving some of this so I'm not placing blame). A lot of times you see news stories the the parent or care giver just looks evil or mean. But I've come across so many parents and care givers who look like the good neighbors next door, who all have their story straight, and who are upstanding people in the community. SO much harder to prove child abuse in those cases and often times it does take multiple injuries and multiple reports for anything to happen. (parent may be arrested, but no enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt and make a case workable so they get released without being charged and convicted). It's sad, and I wish there was a better system. Although I honestly don't know what a better system would be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some of you know how CPS really works. It does not operate with the ideal setting of "someone calls CPS because nanny smacked charge so hard she fell over and broke her arm. There is only 1 witness to this (the one who called CPS). Nanny and child both lie about what happened. Cops believe the one witness, arrest nanny, and she's easily tried and convicted". Rather it is more like. enough claims against a person or severe harm to a child will warrant something more thorough than a simple investigation. I've lost count of how many children repeatedly show up in the ER with suspicion injuries and even classical abuse injuries. And every single time I report it. The only time a parent has ever been arrested after one report was when the child was brought to the ER in such a bad state that it was clear the father had abused and neglected the child over a long period of time.

your post is heartbreaking and difficult to read. basically, a child must be abused a lot and for a long time before law enforcement intervene. I read a while ago of a little child, I think in Maryland, who died of abuse. the article said that the child had ended up as an infant in the ER already with injuries, but nothing was done. unfortunatelly, the last time the child was abused was fatal, and now the dad is in prison. I could not believe that nothing could be done BEFORE the child was dead. I undertand these cases are difficult (children fall all the time and a broken arm does not necessarily means that the child was abused), but still.

First quoted PP again. Ill share one story that is not terrible and could very well be similar to what happened in this situation. Parent was with their 4 year old at the playground. From reports of what happened, there appeared to be 1 other adult at the playground with their own small children. Parent went to get something from the car which was parked just barely out of eyesight from the playground. Parent figured it wouldn't take more than a minute or two to run to the car, grab what was needed, and run back. Park was in an enclosed fence, so parent was not worried about child escaping. Well in the time parent was not watching the child, the child climbed up the back part of a tube slide, went to try to get over the railing (like where you put your hands to propel yourself down) and fell off. Landed on his back, knocked out cold, some pieces of the wood chips they used on the playground sticking into his skin, broken collar bone and broken ankle. One time lapse of judgment from the parent. I am 99.99% sure the doctor reported it to CPS because the mom had left her 4 year old unattended in the park when the injury occurred.

My SIL is fairly certain that CPS opened a file on her after she brought her 9 year old son into the ER with a 2nd degree sunburn (blistering and some oozing). He'd been at a friend's house the day before, took off his shirt because he was hot, but didn't put lotion on. Got a pretty bad burn but skin was just red and sensitive. Woke up the next day and entire back was blistered. Negligent on my SIL's part? No, since she wasn't even there. But since the ER has no way to prove that, she's fairly certain his injuries were reported to CPS.

[Anonymous]

This is how the system works-

Person calls CPS. Person on the phone decides to take the case or not. If case is accepted an intial investigation follows. Sometimes investigator can make a determination based upon early investigation. If not, then a more comprehensive investigation follows.

In order to be the subject of an CPS investigation you have to have been the primary caretaker in charge of the children at the time of the incident.

After investigation is complete CPS worker makes a determination about the allegations. If the worker finds evidence to back up the initial report, then the would be a positive finding. Terminology varies from state to state, but a positive finding could be labeled "indicated" or "founded".

CPS investigations have a much lower standard of proof than any police investigation or court hearing would require, which is why it's rare for a case to prosecuted. Usually when a case has positive finding CPS's focus is to get the family services to prevent the abuse and/or neglect from happening again.

You should only show up on any CPS list if the allegation has been "founded" or "indicated". If there was a negative finding, then you would have no record.

In California by law all nannies have to trustline certified, which is a background check that checks for CPS violations.