False child abuse charges are deeply upsetting and can splinter a family for a potential extended period of time. It’s too easy for an overzealous CPS agent to find abuse or neglect (or the potential thereof) when there isn’t any.
You must be extra cautious with all you do, say, and with anything you allow.
Don’t Trust The CPS Agents
As adversarial as this sounds – it’s important to know your enemy. That’s what they are. They are acting on a “tip” from someone that you are harming your children. Their job is to substantiate that claim, not substantiate your claims to the contrary. The typical CPS social worker is there for one reason: to have a job to pay his/her bills. As such, this worker cannot afford to lose the job. That agent will do whatever the supervisor says in order to maintain employment. Now, if this social worker is put into a unit assigned to go investigate referrals and to make decisions regarding detainment of children, then naturally this person would be of questionable effort if they never detained any children. In order to maintain employment, this worker will have to take a certain number of children into custody in order not to draw unwelcome attention to their job performance. They must have a case to take into court, and they are there, looking for evidence.
While they seem nice and harmless, please remember that this is how they make their living. To keep their jobs, they must take away children from their families. They may come to your door saying, “I’m just here to help.” They’re not. You’ve been falsely accused and they are acting on a “tip.” The next thing you know, your children are in state custody and you are in court trying to prove your innocence. In order to protect yourself you must quickly acquire this mindset. Even if you “like” the agent, behind every pleasant personality is a desire to stay employed. Behind every “nice” caseworker there is a more experienced supervisor who may be telling your caseworker to “find something” to use in order to detain your child. If they can get a lazy or overworked judge to “wave through” their report, they can get away with keeping your children in state custody. Treat these people like kidnappers. They are there to potentially take your child!
Do not sign their plans. Do not admit to anything. Force them to prove their cases in court, in a full trial. Do not acquiesce to their threats or attempts at coercion. Don’t accept just a hearing where you are coerced to sign guilty to the charges. You must stand firm and just say “no” when they ask you to sign your legal rights away.
Should your child be taken away, you may find that the social workers are trying to delay setting up services that are court ordered. You must document your repeated requests for such services and the excuses the social workers give for delaying the start of such services. The CPS agents have been known to delay services so that your case will last longer. If your child is in state custody for an extended period of time, your parental rights can be terminated on that basis alone. Your goal should always be to get your child returned at the next court hearing, so spare no effort to ensure a timely hearing and allow no delays.
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