Friday, April 18, 2008

Child Protective Services

I recently received a cry for help from a friend. Puzzling over the situation, I finally decided to write about it. There appears to be a two edged sword wielded by protective services. On the one hand, the mission statement appears to urge keeping families together and attempting to assist sincere parents in that direction.

The other side, more ugly, are the many drug and alcohol infested homes with children the victims. Certainly, if hard drugs are being used or worse, manufactured in a home with children, those children need to be relocated. What sometimes complicates the issue, is the sometimes treacherous non-custodial parent, who sometimes tries to manufacture a negative situation to either gain custody, or to discredit the custodial parent.

In the case of the party that contacted me, it was a woman that I know not to be either of the above mentioned alcohol or drug Moms. What she apparently did, was leave her eleven year old son in charge of his younger siblings, the youngest being four years old. He had the number of where Mom was, which was close by. Non-custodial
Dad who appears to be creating trouble out of bitterness, called the kids when Mom was out. When the son told him Mom wasn't there, he instructed his son to call the police, who then located Mom quickly,cited the Mom and in subsequent actions, Idaho Child Protective Services eventually took the children and placed them in various foster homes, separating the children from not just the mother, but from each other.

This woman is a working mother, who lives next door to the maternal grandmother. both are known to me as responsible people. The question then here, is why,without the extenuating circumstances previously mentioned, were these children taken away. I have related here one side of the story. Unfortunately, child protective services seal the files, making the only time they have to justify anything, is if a child is killed and it becomes a criminal situation.

Certainly, not all parents that claim foul in these custody situations are right. Many children are in need of intervention, but the taking of children out of a parents home and turning them over to strangers should be a last resort. One questions whether leaving these children in a "latch key" situation, rises to the level of those actions by CPS. In this case, neither the mother nor grandmother have access or visitation rights to these kids. That, on the face of it appears dead wrong.

Asking CPS for their side of the story, privacy issues are quoted, even if the parent involved wants the information out. This smells. Somehow, someway, we need to shine a light on both over protection and in real sad cases, under protection. These public employees need to be accountable.

One would think, that considering the financial cost of foster care, that providing child care, or at least subsidizing it, would be cheaper by far, and would have the obvious advantage of keeping a family together. When children are kept from either natural parent, and the child knows that they are available, it has to be a gut wrenching experience, no, a continuing nightmare for both. There are way too many one parent households. The problem can't help but get worse. Perhaps we need an agency called,"Family Protective Services."

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

On one hand CPS is dead wrong. On the other hand go next door and have grandma watch the dam the kids. She is very guilty of being an idiot.

Bay Views said...

I allowed the above comment even though it is obvious he/she didn't read all the way through. The implication that I told only one side simply isn't true. I posted it anyway, because the person, even though appearing to only read part before commenting, didn't break any of my rules.

MarmiteToasty said...

Not fully knowing the whole story it is difficult to comment.... but over here, the children would not of been put into foster care unless there was a danger....

An 11 year old should not of been left responsible for a 4 year old, no matter what the circumstances really, unless it was a life or death situation, an 11 year old could not of coped in an emergency with a 4 year old....

Its a dodge subject...but again not knowing all the facts, I cant fully comment......

Fanks for your well wishes.... typing this during a break in pain due to being drugged up LMFAO....

x

Anonymous said...

This topic needs more public attention. It is a secret society for making money off children. Why is it so highly publicisized if an animal is being abused, and they are charged with criminal charges, but for child abuse or neglect, you will only read about it if a child dies. People are unaware. Research www.fightcps.com or kidjacked.com or just google cps corruption you would be amazed how many people out there have been victims of CPS abuse. No kids, no funds.

Wordsmith said...

Or...here's a thought. Is or was the father in a position that day to go over and stay with the kids?

OR? Why didn't he ask the 11 year-old, what's the number where Mom is - call her and discuss the situation rather than calling CPS. He's screwed himself as well. Just because HE called CPS does not mean or even begin to intimate that HE will be getting custody of the children. Stupid ass. Someone should smack this dumb shit up side his head.

Of course, it's all about HIM isn't it?

Granted, an 11 year-old being responsible for a 4 year-old isn't ideal. The mother may have been better served dragging a reluctant 4 year-old with her. The 11 year-old could stay alone for a short time...

Of course, we don't know why the mother left for a time or how 'close by' she was.

Anonymous said...

Wordsmith, The father hasn't been in the picture for two years before the kids were taken. He lives in Oregon not paying child support or even talking to the kids. He even switched jobs every time ch. support caught up with him. Mom went on a date. For the first time in a year and it was to go play pool about 2 miles away. The 12 year old had watched the kids previousely on grocery outings etc. Father doesn't want to talk to mom just take kids for "control of the mom".... I have your kids, you will do as I say. If you want to see your kids."

Disgusted at Idaho said...

No comment on above issue, but have step-grandchildren living in Idaho. The mother moved to CA and is a very good mother (my daughter-in-law). State/Courts have given custody of children to dad, who has --and I am NOT making this up or exaggerating--put the son, age 11 at the time, in a cage with a bob cat; shaved the little girl's head, age 10, because she said she wanted to live with her mom. Threatened to do it again when child said it again three weeks later; confined the child to her room for over three weeks for the same reason; had a l6 year old live-in baby-sitter who herself had one child, and who slept in the bed with dad nights..and the list goes on. Dad has also thrown away phones mom got kids to communicate, listened in on all conversations and refused to allow kids to talk to mom when she calls AND kept the kids during mom's visit time by hiding them or scheduling them to do something else. And dad lies to the court every time. I have been in court and have personal knowledge of this. The children ages 10 & 12 right now WANT to live with mom, but state of Idaho doesn't want to lose funding, so--even tho' all this has been reported to them--refuses to let the children out of the sate of Idaho to live with mom. What a terrible disservice to those children and the entire family!
Then the state wonders why youngsters grow up resentful, angry and acting out!