The Child Abuse Laws Which Could Destroy Your Reputation

I think that CPS is a wonderful organization and much needed in some cases. However, it is extremely frightening that anybody at any time can call and accuse you of harming your children and actions could be taken against you when you are completely innocent. There could be a grumpy old man in an apartment somewhere who doens't like the noise coming from the kids in the apartment above him and he could call and say whatever he wants to rid the apartment of the noise to benefit himself and his quest for a quiet home. It's scary. At the same time, there are so many children that need someone to step in and remove them from harms way. So there has to be CPS in place for those children's sake.

CPS in my area is a joke. When we call with legitimate concerns, they say "we will have to decide if we want to get involved in this instance" but when a neighbor called on another neighbor when she was weaning her son off a pacifier and he began giving himself hickies, they came running right out.

I'm sorry, I'm not buying that!!

Where were these supposed "hickies" located?! Were they in places IMPOSSIBLE for a toddler to inflict on him/herself?!

I worked for several summers in college at a residential summer camp for abused and neglected children. We were trained how to spot TRUE physical/sexual/emotional abuse, and how to encourage the campers to talk to those who could actually help them get away from their abusers. It wasn't as easy as "making a phone call, and your child(ren) were instantly removed from the home!" If that were the case, then every counselor at this camp would have become foster parents to these campers!!

BTW...the camp is now closed, but it was Horizons For Youth in Sharon, Mass, for anyone who wants to look it up! :o)

The article ignores the real issue- people using CPS to get revenge against someone else- it is not the fault of CPS if your neighbor/ex-friend/ex-spouse calls them with false claims- I have worked in schools of 15 years and three different states and I feel like CPS does the best they can (or even better than expected) considering the messes they are given to clean up- you have no idea how screwed up people are and how difficult it can be to get to the "truth"-

After 10 years with CPS, I can tell you it is VERY hard to take a child away from a mother.

Hold up, that link pretty much says shaken baby syndrome is a made up diagnosis to get children taken away. So any credibility that site wanted to have is gone now. What a joke. If you shake your kid to death or until its brain damaged, your child should be taken away. And if you think shaking it can't produce those results your brain damaged yourself.

Well, i didn't bother to read the article yet. However, in my area, CPS is a joke, if not neglegent themselves. Two of my family members have been living a horrible life, and CPS support the mother they live with (under fear, neglect, abuse, threats, etc). becasue she "befreinded" a CPS worker. They refuse to interview the father who was trying to get custody and trying to get his kids help (counceling). Even the school system has reported problems at home to CPS, but CPS is so "father's are bad, kids need to be with the mothers", that they cannot see when a mother is the abuser! It's infuriating. And the police won't get involved becasue they say CPS is inolved and should be handling it. Ridiculous and sad. CPS is a BROKEN system, corrupt in some aspects, and have FAILED to keep these kids from abuse!

My SS is severely autistic (violent, apt to run off, etc.). His mother would leave him alone with his older brother (he was 8, older brother 10) for up to 12 hours at a time. Her home was/is disgustingly filthy (to the point I could smell dirty house on the boys clothes). The boys were constantly sick, both are allergic to mold and her home was filled with it. They would eat food out of the garbage, or spoiled food because their mother didn't feel like cooking for them. My DH fought so hard for custody, and only got 50%. When my oldest SS came to my house covered in infected flea bites, I finally called CPS. They "investigated" her, and deemed everything ok. They never even did a follow up. I found out that the school, 2 SIL's and a neighbor have also called CPS - nothing was ever done and those poor kids are still neglected and living in filth. I have zero confidence in CPS.

(Didn't have enough room). My other experience with CPS was with my DD, who was 9 at the time. She fell out of bed and hit her nightstand. She didn't remember doing it in the morning, but it was obvious what happened. She had a mark by her eye. One of her teachers asked what happened, she said she wasn't sure but I told her she fell out of bed. CPS was at my house that night, demanding to see the other children in the house, and asking them if they were scared of my DH (their stepdad). I actually called an attorney - who said there was nothing I could do but cooperate, even though it was obvious that there was no child abuse going on. (And when I talked to the principal, she couldn't understand why the teacher had even called). They came TWICE because my DD fell out of bed. They didn't have any other indications of abuse, just that little mark. I have never felt so violated. But they ignore the neglect at my skids mothers.