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Reported to CPS – need prayers!
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Someone reported our family to Child Protection for “educational neglect.” Of course, it’s anonymous, but we have a hunch who it might have been (think back to a previous post I made not too long ago). Anyway, he is coming Friday am to do a family assessment (not an investigation). I’ve been in contact with HSLDA, so I am getting the stuff together I’ll need. Also have to clean and tidy the house so as not to give him reason to suspect anything else. I only have 2 days to do this all, while still teaching, and I’m nervous about the meeting and how I’ll finish my work in time. I could really use your prayers, advice, or even your stories if this has happened to you.
Thanks, all!
Praying for you.
Don’t know about CPS/CFS visits for education… but I know from others that if they are visiting for concerns of sanitary conditions, that they will often not come when they said, but will come a couple of days later. (So that they aren’t coming right when you made a big effort to clean up – but enough later that you will have likely stopped worrying about them coming and let things slide again.
Thinking about it, I know of one family here that was reported to the homeschooling education department for educational neglect…. she said the invesitgator was really nice, talked to them for a while, and said there was no problems. (I think they were unschoolers too….)
But of course, each state/government has different requirements etc.
You are in a tough spot but just try and stay calm or you might scare the kids. And we know you don’t want that. These people get calls all the time from anyone who doesn’t like you, the way to do or say things etc. So try to be patient. I’ve been in your shoes when someone called on me, said I was starving my child. They were very firm when on the phone, no delays etc. Coming tomorrow… Anyway when they came and saw her, us (me and dh) they just smiled and said, sure she’s small but you two are also small people. She totally laughed it off. But were we worried, oh yeh, to the point I was sick. Cause she had rights to just take my liitle daughter if she felt that it was true.
Be patient, try to find time in his word to calm you, and know that you are doing the best you can and you are doing exactly what you are ment to do. Love, hugs and blessings
Try not to worry too much! We have had CPS (or our equivilant) in our house before. A friend of our sons had mentioned our sons name somehow to someone and it got back to CPS that they were worried there might have been a case of sexual abuse. And, when they stopped by to visit our son (we had no warning whatsoever) he was away for the weekend!! They woulnd’t (couldn’t) tell us much of anything, and we couldn’t talk to our son or his biological mother about it until after they had talked to him!! It was nervewracking, but the case workers were so incredibly nice, and it ended up not being anything for my son (it had something to do with his friend, but somehow our son’s name had gotten into the mix).
And, you will be fine is this scenario. You have already done what you need to (call HSLDA) just write up a plan for your cleaning and schooling for the next few days and enlist the whole family to help out. You will be fine!!
I guess these people if they get a report have to investigate – so I don’t blame them for that – and I know they must get a lot of false alarms, but have to check them out anyway. A lot of times it is just a spiteful person – you have HSLDA on your side, and as long as you stay calm and polite and not beligerent, you will do fine. No-ones house is perfect all the time, and kids make a mess, so they won’t look for a show house – just that it is clean and that the kids look clean and well fed. It is scary for you I am sure, but try and relax, you will be fine and HSLDA will take care of the rest. God bless and I will pray. Linda
My sister works for CPS in our state. Honestly, a case like yours is the least of their concerns.
Keeping you in my prayers that it will be a quick, uneventful visit and that the case will be closed quickly.
Agree with above, rest easy. They know neglect when they see it, it’s AWFUL for these poor kids whose parents are usually strung out on drugs or alcohol.
Sorry to hear about your situation.. Google your state and cpa. What to do when they come to your door. It is very insightful. My advice it to say hardly anything. Stay in the room with themWhen they want to interveiw your children. Tell them that you heard of someone using leading questions like leading a witness. They have a tendency to tape record children without parents around and ask prying questions that have nothing to do with homework. They will ask them if they ever get spanked, What you use, where, how hard. If they go without food ect… They are there to build a case against you. Keep your mouth shut! 🙂 Don’t give them any information extra they will go with it to build a case. They also want to know where your children are during the day if they are not with you. Daycare ect.. This is so they can know where your children are if they want to take them away. They also want to know what your family activities are. This is so they know if they are socialized and around others so they can see if they are abused. They look for locks on the kids doors. vents uncovered flooring coming up, electrical outlets without covers, where you keep your cleaners, anything that may be unsafe. So look at those also. Good Luck! I am sure you will be fine.
HUGS and prayers for you. Do you have friends who can help you tidy up? Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help from the people who love you. I will continue to pray. Please update us after the visit.
*peace*
Hi Sara,
I’m really sorry this has happened to you; it is nerve-racking. We’ve been through it ourselves. If you choose to let them in the house, which you may want to check on whether you legally have the right to refuse them-we do here in GA (you can possible have this interview in the yard, they don’t have to come into your home, because once they come in, they’re in and can come in again during an ongoing investigation; plus they can come up with other reasons to continue the “investigation”), my only recommendations are to not allow them to interview your children out of your presence and not give access to any records without warrrant (other than the ones HSLDA recommends, anything above that is what I’m talking about).
A “family assessment” is an investigation. They use all sorts of nice sounding names to make you more cooperative. Please find out all your rights in your state.
I will be praying for you. I completely agree with chocodog above in that the less you say the better; keep your answers short and specific to only the question asked. Be aware of how leading or invasive some of these questions might be, esp. in regards to spanking and personal family preferences that are legal, just controversial. Ask if anything is going to be recorded if you have concern over tha-I personally wouldn’t allow that, as conversations can be edited and used against you. I also wouldn’t give information about where other locations are that you go, other than general answers like, “the park”, “grandma’s house”, etc; no actual addresses for the reason chocomom mentioned.
Maintaining the sovereignty over your family and asserting the right to be in the room with your children (or outside the house with them) isn’t being beligerant, but smart. Just because it sounds benign on the surface doesn’t mean a thing; many times it depends on the personal opinions of the actual social worker regarding homeschooling and their own personal ego over the power they yield.
G-d Bless and we will be praying for ya’ll and keep yourselves under prayer, too. I think you’re going to come out fine.
Rachel
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