encounter with CPS... give me a break! Long....

[tiffanyh]

This is very strange.................................

.............you are out playing with your kids and CPS threatens to take him away??? Really??

.....are we missing something here?

 

[SpottedCrow]

That's really assinine!!!
What the heck was the CPS guy doing there anyway?
Sounds like he was trying to drum up business.

I remember the Trenton Duckett case...and how Nancy Grace got the shaft on that one...

There's a case in MA where the parents took their child to a Psychiatrist and had her diagnosed as ADD/ADHD at 2!
They got money from the state for having "special needs" kids. Something like a couple of grand per kid...

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/03/hull_parents_ch.html


Hull parents arrested in girl's poisoning death By David Abel, Globe Staff
February 6, 2007

The parents of a 4-year-old girl from Hull were arrested yesterday on murder charges after investigators concluded they poisoned their daughter, prosecutors said.

Michael Riley , 34, and his wife, Carolyn, 32, were taken into custody at his mother's house in Weymouth in the death of their daughter Rebecca in December, said officials in the Plymouth district attorney's office.

Just after 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 13, Hull police responded to a call for an unresponsive girl at the family's home on Lynn Avenue, prosecutors said. They found Rebecca dead on her parents' bedroom floor.

An investigation by State Police and Hull police found the girl had been prescribed the drugs clonidine for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and valproic acid and Seroquel for bipolar disorder. A psychiatrist had diagnosed her with both disorders at age 2 1/2, prosecutors said.

The medical examiner's office determined the girl died from "intoxication due to the combined effects" of the drugs clonidine, valproic acid (Depakote), dextromethorphan, and chlorpheniramine, the district attorney's office said in a statement.

"This occurred as a result of the intentional overdose of Rebecca with clonidine," the statement said. "The manner of death was determined to be homicide."

Clonidine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat high blood pressure, but is sometimes used to treat hyperactive symptoms.

The mothers of both Michael and Carolyn Riley said last night the couple is innocent. Valerie Berio , Carolyn Riley's mother, called the homicide charges "ludicrous." "She was their treasure, their angel," Berio said in a telephone interview. "They loved her more than life itself. They didn't consciously give her anything to make her go to sleep and not wake up."

She said Rebecca had been described as hyperactive in school, but had been recently seen as "a little too quiet" by school administrators.

Berio said the couple grew up in Weymouth, knew each other since they were young, and married in 1994. She said Michael Riley is unemployed and claims disability. "Michael is the sweetest kid in the world. They would have never wanted to hurt their daughter," Berio said. "I love him like he's my own kid."

Kathleen Riley , Michael's mother, described the couple as great parents.

"I can't believe this is happening," she said in a telephone interview. "It's a terrible disgrace. I have no idea how anyone could say this is deliberate. I'm shocked. They loved their children."

She said the couple had a miscarriage six years ago and had been living apart for the last year, though they were in the home together the morning Rebecca died.

"He's been a wonderful father," Riley said. "All the charges against them are false. He cried at night because he had to live with me for the past year. He's been under such pressure. The poor kid. I don't know how he's going to handle this. They just wanted to be together."

Denise Monteiro , a spokeswoman for the state Department of Social Services, said the department "found evidence for neglect" of Rebecca.

On Dec. 13, the agency removed the couple's other children, a 6-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy, from the home, Monteiro said. They remain in foster homes.

In 2005, DSS began investigating allegations that Michael Riley sexually abused a 13-year-old girl , Monteiro said. Kathleen Riley and Berio identified the girl as Carolyn Riley's daughter from another relationship. The girl had been adopted to another home in 2002.

Also in 2005, DSS launched an investigation into whether Carolyn Riley had neglected her children, Monteiro said.

"We supported the allegations of abuse, and we forwarded that report to the Norfolk district attorney's office," she said. "We also supported the allegations of neglect against the mother."

The status of those allegations was unclear last night. A spokesman for the Norfolk district attorney's office did not return calls. Berio called the allegations of abuse "completely ridiculous."

"There's no evidence at all to back them up," she said. "But it devastated them, and now it has snowballed to this."

In June 2005, DSS ordered Michael Riley out of the home, Monteiro said. He was only allowed to see the children under supervision by a DSS official, she said.

"We're investigating why Michael Riley was at the home without supervision," when police found Rebecca dead, Monteiro said last night.

These are the ones that NEED to be checked out...
I also have had runins with CPS.
Mike, DS, and I were down the beach visiting my mother and grandfather. He was like 2. My grandfather was on heart meds. And my son ate a whole teaspoonful...And some cat crunchies...I rushed him off to the ER even though my mother was like that'll never hurt him...the ER doctors said that they were glad I got him there when I did, because he could've died!!!Digitalis poisoning is really serious...I never went back down the beach for a visit again..
The next time was he put his hand on the stove and it was on! He was like 1! We got the I know that YOU did it speech and we had to tell them again and again that it was an accident.
I love how now if you go in to the ER they ask if you feel safe at home WTH? I fell down my back stairs and ripped off all the tendons in my ankle...they felt the need to ask if anyone pushed me!!! Jeeze. I was with my son and I fell down the stairs...I'm a klutz.

 

[Sonia]

I don't know the details of the above case but.....it says that they were 'investigated' NOT that there had been any findings. They will use the mere fact that there was an investigation against you EVEN if the investigation was closed as unfounded.

I have a child that has been diagnosed with bipolar and ADD/ADHD. He has been on ALL the meds that little girl was on. I had to fight and fight and fight to get him off of them. I had documentation that they were NOT helping him and ....yep you guessed it I had CPS called on me for denying medical care. Had those parents refused to give the girl her medications they would have been in trouble for that too.

If anyone has a grudge against you be aware...they can and will make up ANY reason to get you into the system. You are darn if you do and darn if you don't. Give the kids the meds....if they have a bad reaction to it then YOU are abusive....don't give them to them and then YOU are denying care.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

The only advice here you should take is the one that said use the business card and call this guys supervisor! Hostility is NOT going to help you. This is one lone wolf who was out of line and his supervisor would know it. Yes, there are lousy CPS workers out there. They are poorly educated poorly trained and badly supervised much of the time. Why? Because the pay always sucks, the people you deal with almost always are nasty even when they don't need to be and the job is dangerous.

I know many people have had bad run ins with these agencies and I know that the agencies DO let children die. But you tell me who among you would be willing to go into these neighborhoods and try to assess the life of a child often in fifteen minutes or less. I have been screamed at, punched, had my tires slashed, and finally I got shot at. For $20,000 a year. So I did what the rest of the people who get their education, who care about the kids, who actually try to help, do - I got out.

I worked for a private agency not the government ones, but I know hostility will not help. Call the guys supervisor, tell them he threatened you and trespassed and you'd like the situation resolved. Offer, like some one else said, to let some one else come offer. Invite them in offer them coffee, be pleasant and open. You didn't do anything wrong and the supervisor will recognize that the guy did.

Good Luck.

BTW I have LOTS of experience here, PM me if you want to talk.

 

[DuckyBoys]

Being pleasant and open will not help you and there are countless case studies to prove it. You don't owe anyone an explanation, period. Your kid was playing in your yard with you nearby. End of story.

Once CPS is involved in ANY way - their job is to build a case.

 

[Sonia]

I beg to differ. Inviting them in is the worst thing you can do. If you do that then you give up your rights regarding illegal search and seizures. I'm sure there are a few good workers out there but 99.9% WANT to find something wrong. If they don't find anything they can and do still reccomend services. If you refuse they can and do bully parents into them. Once you let them in, or sign anything they have you by the nads and can make you jump through hoops in order to keep your children. If they can't find anything 'wrong' they can and do make things up or will blow something trivial way out of proportion. They will threaten you into compliance. The best advice is to DEMAND that your constitutional rights be honored. Demand to speak to your lawyer. Demand a warrant before they can come onto your property. Protect your children from being ruthlessly interrogated at school or at a caregivers home. This agency is hopelessly corrupt.

 

[WriterofWords]

Ok, I've dealt with CPS as a teacher many times and once as a parent.
1. CPS doesn't walk around with cards waiting for a child to do something dangerous so they can harrass a parent.
If that CPS officer was around you can pretty much guarantee that one of your neighbors has seen your kids around the ditch and called CPS to report that they feel the kids are not being watched properly.
This is NOT saying this is the case, that you are not watching them, but someone thinks that and they are close enough to see you.
2. Do not assume you have wonderful neighbors and they wouldn't do this. I've done it myself when I felt a neighbor was placing their children in danger, I felt it was better safe than sorry.
3. It's a ditch, it has running water, a child can drown in less than 2 inches of water especially if they fall and perhaps knock themselves out. I've lived across from a lot of bigger and deeper irrigation ditches and I've lost friends to them because they don't know how fast that water is running under the surface.
4. You are used to it and you watch your kids, that doesn't mean accidents don't happen and maybe your neighbor is trying to prevent that from happening.
5. Do not be rude, aggressive, or nasty to any CPS agents who do come out. Stand at your fence, answer the questions, don't invite them in as others have pointed out and you did yourself, this gives them the right to look around.
6. If an agent threatens you, taking your child, etc. tell them calmly that you want them to call their supervisor right then so you can discuss the threat that was just made. If they refuse, call them yourself. If you don't have the number, call 911 and report the threats made to you and give them the CPS agent's name, they are not allowed to do that.

Keep a good calm head and don't suddenly spend more time out at the ditch to prove anything to anyone.
Good luck, you shouldn't have a problem if you remain in control.
K

 

[flakey chick]

Quote:
Wow, that's really good advice. Do you have any advice for children who are being interviewed?

 

[Sonia]

Quote:
Wow, that's really good advice. Do you have any advice for children who are being interviewed?

I'd be interested in that info as well. Especially when the worker refuses to allow a parent or any other adult to be with the child during the interrogation.

 

[WriterofWords]

When a child is being interviewed you cannot be in the room with them, but you can have someone the child knows and is on good terms with. This could be the school nurse, your own doctor, or legal rep. even. Depending on the age of the child they are allowed an advocate of their choice, if they are older children they can ask for a teacher or whomever they are comfortable with that is not an immediate family member.
The advocate has to remember that they are there for the child, but they cannot prompt the child or insert anything. If they start asking the child leading questions the advocate can stop the interview and ask for a supervisor, point out the leading question, or ask for legal representation. I've been called in to so many interviews because the child has asked for me, I know the law, I know what I can and cannot do. The first thing I do is explain to the child that I am their advocate and I am there to protect them, but they cannot ask me anything or speak to me during the interview. But I also tell them I will stop the interview if I think they are in danger of being "prompted" to an answer.