Category: Child Welfare System
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Are CPS Services Enough For Parents With Drug Abuse Problems?
People who struggle with substance abuse problems need a lot of help. Not some help, or occasional help. A LOT of help. Why? Because addiction takes over. It infiltrates every aspect of your life, and directs your thought patterns. It becomes a routine part of your daily activities, and affects how you think and feel…
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Michigan’s Proposed Mandatory Reporter Legislation Could Hurt Children!
Many things will change in the wake of the Larry Nassar case. Some of them are great changes – women and girls will be more likely to speak up when they’ve been assaulted, knowing that they’ll be believed. MSU will hopefully do a better job of handling future allegations of sexual assault. But not everything…
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Dealing With CPS? Be Careful Where You Get Your Advice!
If you were to ask Forrest Gump, he’d probably tell you the internet is like a box of chocolates. Sometimes you get lucky and find the caramel ones. And sometimes you strike out and get the nougat one instead. (Eugh!) But how do you tell the difference before taking that first bite? How do make…
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Do Fewer Spankings and Friendlier Neighbors Mean Less CPS?
A new study published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect shows that there’s a direct correlation between how often a child is spanked, the friendliness of their neighborhood, and how often CPS gets involved. Sounds strange to you? There’s actually a really sound reason behind it all. Researchers at the University of Michigan and…
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What You Should (And Shouldn’t) do if CPS is Investigating You! (Part 5)
Thanks for sticking with us for this five part series – we know it’s a lot of information, but for families facing a CPS investigation, it can be invaluable! So if you’ve been with us from the beginning, let’s dive in for the last installment on this subject. If you’ve only just stumbled on these…
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What You Should (And Shouldn’t) do if CPS is Investigating You! (Part 2)
Welcome back, we’re glad you’re taking the time to read this and prepare yourself, should CPS ever end up on your doorstep. As we pointed out in the previous article, many innocent families get investigated by CPS. And when CPS shows up at your house, they’re not there to determine if you’re guilty of abuse…
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What You Should (And Shouldn’t) do if CPS is Investigating You! (Part 1)
If you’ve had any dealings with CPS, then you know they take their work very seriously (as they should!) But what about when they’re totally incorrect? What about the times when they investigate innocent parents and make false allegations against families who haven’t done anything wrong. Sounds crazy? And yet it happens a lot in…
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Being a Foster Parent in Michigan is Really Hard!
Being a foster parent is hard. Extremely hard. And while foster parents often get a bad rap in the news (because you only hear about the bad ones) the reality is very different. There are thousands of excellent foster parents out there whose hard work, love and dedication never make the news. Whose compassion and…
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Former Foster Youth Conduct Survey – Keep Families Together!
There have been countless studies conducted over the years to determine whether children fare better in foster care, or with their natural families. The answers have been unanimous across the board – kids are better off with their own families, wherever possible. But what makes this particular piece of research unique is that it was…
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What To Do When CPS Shows Up At Your Door! (Part 3)
Welcome back to this series on how to handle a CPS worker that shows up unannounced at you door, demanding to come in. In the previous two articles we talked about the importance of being polite in all your interactions with CPS, and why CPS would need a warrant to enter your home. Moving on,…