Category: Child Neglect
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What to Expect During a CPS Home Visit in Michigan
If a report has been made against you to Michigan Child Protective Services (CPS), it’s normal to feel anxious or overwhelmed. A CPS investigation can be incredibly intrusive and emotionally draining, especially when you’re not sure what to expect. When there is a report of child abuse or neglect, Michigan CPS normally begins an investigation…
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Understanding the CPS Investigation Process in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is responsible for opening a Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation when a report of child abuse or neglect is made. CPS will only open an investigation if the report includes an allegation of actual abuse or neglect, not suspected. For example, if someone makes a report…
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Understanding Your Rights During a CPS Investigation in Michigan
Becoming the subject of a Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation can be very overwhelming for families. Knowing the process of a CPS investigation, what your rights are, and what you should do during an investigation can help ease the stress and could make a substantial difference in the outcome of the investigation. What Does CPS…
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What Michigan Judges Consider at a Termination of Parental Rights Hearing: A Guide for Families in Lansing and Surrounding Counties
When a termination of parental rights (TPR) hearing takes place in a Michigan court, the judge’s decision can permanently sever the legal rights of a parent to their child. In places like Lansing, and across Mid-Michigan, these hearings are not taken lightly. Judges weigh numerous factors based on the best interests of the child when…
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Surveillance Versus Safety: What is CPS Involvement Really Doing to Struggling Families?
When a teacher sees a child who doesn’t have a winter coat that fits, or a doctor realizes that a child they’re seeing for a Wellchild check up is clearly hungry, what do they do? In most cases, they call the CPS hotline and report suspected neglect. But is that what they should be doing?…
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When is it Okay to Leave Your Child Unattended in Michigan?
This is a question we get asked a lot by parents who are caught up in protracted battles with CPS over the issue of child neglect. And the truth is, it can be a little challenging to answer. Because there isn’t a one-size-fits-all response. After all, there are a lot of factors involved in deciding…
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Can You be a Free Range Parent in Michigan And Not be Accused of Neglect?
How do you encourage your children to be independent, self-reliant, and responsible as they grow up? According to the free range parenting movement, you encourage them to function as independently as possible, with limited parental supervision, while still expecting them to be accountable and responsible for their actions. It’s a movement that’s slowly gaining in…
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Will Faith Healing Couple Face Child Abuse Charges After All?
Joshua and Rachel Piland have been in the news a lot lately. Between CPS and the Michigan family court, they have been caught between a rock and a hard place since making the controversial decision to refuse medical care for their baby based on their religion. It all started when their baby daughter, Abigail, was…
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Baby Found Alive Beside Dead Parents in Hotel Room in Michigan
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…
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Accident or Neglectful Parenting? What Happens When a Child Goes Missing?
Whenever a child goes missing in the movies, the story tends to focus on the frantic manhunt, and the relief parents experience when the child is finally found. Which makes sense, because that’s what parents and loved ones are experiencing when a kid turns up missing. At first it’s all denial and horror and anxiety,…