Child Protective Services--what goobers

[Farmerwilly2]

Driving to 'the city' from home today I was listening to one of the talk shows (topic was CPS), in 45 minutes time 2 folks called in to relate that they had been reported and were being investigated by their state agency (didn't specify state) because their children had too many toys. Yea, you read that correctly. They sent do-gooders to their home to inspect and put the parents on notice that they needed to reduce the number of toys their children had. The woman that called in was under a courts contempt citation (sorry, details sketchy on what promted the contempt). Perhaps for excessive beanie babies or for unregistered Tonka trucks. I don't know. Nor do I have any idea why government dollars, time or effort needs to be expended to control gift giving parents, grandmas or friends. What's next? Will I have to submit to random under drawer checks to make sure I've got clean ones on before I left the house. What if I'm feeling 'commando' that day and skip them altogether? Will I be in violation of the 2004 Fruit of the Loom Act? Sometimes I wonder if a major meltdown wouldn't both thin the herd and strip a few layers of stupid off the books.

[omnicat]

I'll admit that I'm one to inwardly "tsk" to myself when I see people showering thier kids with excessive toys and all...but that's just goofy that it's CPS issue.

Don't they have anything better to do with their time??

[texican]

If I had chilluns, I'd try and avoid CPS... and definitely avoid publically bad mouthin' em... To get on their radar wouldn't be pleasant... as no matter how well we think we're doing, they'd find it lacking in something...

[gina kay]

I hear of friends getting mad at one another and calling CPS. Hear about it alot on those court shows and it happened to someone I know when we were in the Army. It's misusing CPS's time. Of course while they're investigating they could ask why would the kids need that many toys....is it to occupy the kids time while the parents are glued to the tv, phone or computer? Is the area safe for the kids to play outdoors? Would it be better for them to sit in front of the tv all day? Who is to say what makes the perfect home?

[wogglebug]

Dear me, what next? Next thing you know, someone will be taking a phone-in on one of those stupid radio shows seriously.
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Nah, no-one could be that stupid. Forget I spoke.

[tanksoldier]

Well, remember you're only hearing one side.

The "my friend got two month in jail for flipping off a cop" story usually has more to it than that.

[Quint]

Were I governor, one of the first (in a long line of many) departments I would abolish would be CPS. I'd shut it down within minutes of assuming office and fire every single worthless social worker and busybody bureaucrat employed there. That and I'd abolish the entire "family court" system.

[DamnearaFarm]

DCS/CPS isn't all bad. I'm in daily contact with them at work. Yeah, there are some that shouldn't have the job. But for every one like that, there's two that are doing the right thing.

[Bells]

Maybe the home was also filled w/stuff - have you seen the houses that people have that are floor to ceiling w/trash? Some people just can.not.throw.anything out. There are some horders that have died when thier stacks of stuff have fallen on them.

The person calling in may say that CPS was making them get rid of the toys when truly there were too many toys/stuff in the house to live safely.

[Maura]

I once worked for Children's services. Too many toys could mean: there is stuff all over the place, it is a fire hazard, and perhaps safety hazard. They toys could be old, moldy toys that should be thrown away, or they could be broken and not usable to play with. There could be trash mixed in with the toys that is a safety hazard, like lids off tin cans, etc.

And, as stated above, people will call social services just for vengance on another family.

[Wolf mom]

Methinks that there's more going on than just too many toys. Probably said as a smoke screen to try and look good...

All CPS complaints have to be investigated no matter how valid or not. Most workers I've come in contact with are hardworking & really have the children's best interests at heart. Yes, there's always the one that's overzealous, but don't say they're all that way.

Some children are taken out of the home until the complaint has been investigated or the parents clean up their act. Most are put with relatives if they'll take the children.

Do you want any child to be living in a meth house with needles on the coffee table??
Do you want a child's bare bottom to be placed on a hot skillet to stop it's crying?
Do you want a child to be punched until they're unconscious?
Do you want a child to be left alone overnight or a couple days while a "parent" goes on a drug spree?

I think there's a need for CPS.

[hintonlady]

Originally Posted by Quint

Were I governor, one of the first (in a long line of many) departments I would abolish would be CPS. I'd shut it down within minutes of assuming office and fire every single worthless social worker and busybody bureaucrat employed there. That and I'd abolish the entire "family court" system.

Thats brilliant,

what would you do about the several children killed by parents in the last few months?

[WindowOrMirror]

You don't need CPS to prosecute parents for murder.

Now... if they have remaining children...

See, this is another example of where, if we were largely moral people, and family cared for family; we wouldn't need the government to step in and help us "do the right thing".

Here is my opinion on the order of care:

First and above all else, take care of your friggin self
2. Immediate family
3. Extended local family
4. Extended remote family
5. Local group (church)
6. Community (town/village)
7. State
8. Federal

If you get to step 8, it's because every step before that was already "used up", not because you deisre to make politicians fatter and spend more of your own money

R

[Farmerwilly2]

Or maybe believing every bit of advice they receive on a public internet forum. As I didn't have the opportunity to personally vet each story I can only relay it as it transpired. Both claims were that they were told to reduce the number of toys. Not trash. Not feces. Not drug s. Toys. I personally have a problem with someone making a complaint to any authority and then being able to retain their anonomous status.

Originally Posted by wogglebug

Dear me, what next? Next thing you know, someone will be taking a phone-in on one of those stupid radio shows seriously.
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Nah, no-one could be that stupid. Forget I spoke.

[celadon]

CPS, Is not laughable. they are a waste of our tax payers money. My grandaughter had 20 black eyes, hand marks on her body and a broken arm all before she was 3 years old under her mothers care. And there is no two sides to this story. we even posted this on a web site with pictures. CPS was really mad at us but it was the truth so there was nothing they could do about it. I have yet to hear a positive story about them in our area. We even put it in the paper asking who was protecting our children? LIke I said. A waste of taxpayers monies.

[DamnearaFarm]

Originally Posted by celadon

CPS, Is not laughable. they are a waste of our tax payers money. My grandaughter had 20 black eyes, hand marks on her body and a broken arm all before she was 3 years old under her mothers care. And there is no two sides to this story. we even posted this on a web site with pictures. CPS was really mad at us but it was the truth so there was nothing they could do about it. I have yet to hear a positive story about them in our area. We even put it in the paper asking who was protecting our children? LIke I said. A waste of taxpayers monies.

I'm sorry your granddaughter went through so much. Is she out?

As far as them being laughable- ask all those parents I see on a DAILY basis who have lost their children due to their drug useage how laughable they are.

Especially take the time to ask when they come out the other side of my program, after shelling out a minimum of 1200.00 CASH to complete it. No insurance here.

[Quint]

Originally Posted by hintonlady

what would you do about the several children killed by parents in the last few months?

Obvious. Charge them with the death. You don't need the bogus CPS and Family Court system for that. A crime was committed and they get a trial before a jury of their peers. You don't need a gaggle of state funded parasites and nosy do-gooders for that.

[foxtrapper]

Originally Posted by Quint

Obvious. Charge them with the death. You don't need the bogus CPS and Family Court system for that. A crime was committed and they get a trial before a jury of their peers. You don't need a gaggle of state funded parasites and nosy do-gooders for that.

So let the child die, then charge the parent with the crime. Don't do anything to take the child out before they die. That's just wonderfull.

Don't mistake me as loving CPS, I think there are many problems with them and have no particular love for many of their agents. But equally I dislike the notion of totally abolishing all protective service for children.

I searched and searched for any instance of a "too many toys" charge, and couldn't find a one. Not even an urban legend claim of it. With just the faintest bit of thought, I suspect there's quite a bit more to the stories that isn't being told. As mentioned, fire hazards for one, dangerous toys for another. A room buried 4' deep in toys is indeed, too many toys.

[Delrio]

It's amazing the trouble that a bitter ex caused a friend. And you're always "guilty" before you prove yourself innocent.

[tamatik]

A first hand tale....we recently (dec21) moved to our place in the sticks. We owned this place for 2 yrs fixing it up. My 17 yr old didn,t want to come with us so I said "no problem, do what you want"
He called CAS (canadian CPS) and told them he didn,t want to move. We have no running water but a far warmer home with wood heat and the schoolbus would stop just outside the door.
On dec20 I get a call from a social worker who asked me to come down and sign some papers(?) I go down and there is my son and the woman states that she has found a foster home for my son.
He helped us move and stayed here for christmas and then I drove him back to his new home.
His reasons for not wanting to come are.. no hi speed internet..no friends..and new school. I pointed out that he had no friends where we used to live (never left his room) and he has skipped over 20 days of school, and dialup is all we can afford.
He called last week to say he had run away once (so far) and just doesn,t know what he,s going to do. BUT.. they gave him $500... I could never do that.

KIDS!!!

I love my boy but I,m sure I,ll never understand him.

This is all true with no exaggeration or embelishments.

It amazes me that a 22yr old, childless person, can tell me what,s best for my son because she has degree or certificate.