One of the gripes people seem to have with CPS in Michigan is their inability to get it right when making decisions about which kids are at risk and which kids aren’t. They will fight a loving parent tooth and nail, sometimes for years, trying to remove a child who’s in no danger, but on the other hand leave a child whose at great risk of abuse or neglect in a situation where they are in genuine danger. It’s something of a puzzle. And in this tragic case that swept through national media like wildfire, it’s a perfect example of this dichotomy.
The cops say it started with a welfare check…
A Michigan State Police trooper was doing a welfare check on a 6 month old baby, allegedly staying in a hotel room with her young parents, when he discovered the tragedy. The infant, severely dehydrated and barely alive, was lying in the room with the bodies of her dead parents. According to the medical staff who check her over after she was admitted to the hospital, she had been lying there for several days before the officer found her.
But it actually started well before that.
The welfare check, requested by the baby’s grandparents, may have been what prompted the officer to discover the baby and the dead couple in the hotel room. However, that certainly wasn’t the first time that little girl’s grandparents were worried about her. Records show they had called CPS in the past and expressed concern that the baby wasn’t being properly cared for. At the time, they said they suspected it was drug addiction making parenting so hard for 26-year-old Jessica Bramer of Grand Rapids, and 28-year-old Christian Reed of Marne.
What happened to the baby’s parents?
Right now there aren’t any confirmed details about the cause, or even exact time of death. The couple, Bramer and Marne, were known to be drug users, and police say they found drug paraphernalia in the room. Also investigators working on the case say that there were no signs of foul play, so right now it’s being assumed that the couple simply overdosed and the baby was left uncared for until someone found her. But until the autopsies are complete nothing can be ruled out.
Why didn’t CPS step in sooner?
It was sheer luck that the grandparents called the cops when they did, and that the officer stopped by and happened to find the baby. Another day and she would have died. So why didn’t CPS have a better handle on this situation? Why do they spend such a huge amount of energy pursuing parents who actually try very hard to care properly for their kids, but fall short when parents aren’t making enough effort? That’s the million dollar question…
CPS often barks up the wrong tree…
Michigan CPS has a long history of accusing good parents of child abuse, while not paying enough attention to the parents whose children really are in danger of abuse or neglect. So this case shouldn’t come as any surprise. But that doesn’t make it any less tragic. If CPS is hounding or harassing you, making false claims about the way you parent your kids, don’t wait – call 866 766 5245 and get help to fight for your family’s future from the skilled and experienced CPS defense attorneys at The Kronzek Firm.