Welcome back, and thanks for joining us for this discussion on basic CPS investigation essentials for Michigan families. We’ve been looking at the basics involved when a CPS worker shows up on your doorstep. What do you do? What should you say? How do you respond? There are so many questions, and so few obvious answers. Which is what we’re hoping to cover in this simple, two part series.

Reasons CPS might remove a child from your home:

There are many reasons why a CPS worker might decide that your child is in danger, and needs to be immediately removed from your care. These reasons are often open to interpretation, based on the opinion of the worker. They could include:

• Bills have not been paid, so there is no running water or electricity in your home (no heat, no way to cook or wash or flush toilets).
• Your home is not neat and tidy and clean. Some CPS workers believe that a messy home is unsafe for a child to live with.
• Very little food or water in the home, which could constitute a dire financial crisis, or simply be the result of busy lives and the need to stop by a grocery store.
• Your child is injured and needs medical attention. If CPS thinks your child needs medical attention that you aren’t providing, this could constitute medical neglect.
• Your child shows signs of possible abuse (This could be something as simple as bruises and scrapes from normal play)

You will have a chance to defend yourself in court!

In many cases, when CPS shows up, if you were aware of your rights beforehand and called your attorney, your children won’t be removed from your care. Unfortunately, many parents don’t know their rights and don’t call a lawyer until their children have been taken away. However, once your children have been taken by CPS, a court date will be set within 14 days to determine whether the children should be returned to you, or kept in foster care.

Many Judges who decide that the children are better off in foster care, will provide conditions for the return of your children. Things like parenting classes, substance abuse counseling, or anger management classes. The CPS worker assigned to your case will likely also suggest services the agency could provide that they want you to make use of in order to be reunited with your child.

This is why you need a good CPS defense lawyer right from the start!

We cannot stress this enough! The sooner you have a skilled and experienced CPS defense lawyer on your side, the better your family’s chances are of coming out of this experience intact. A lawyer who understands the system can inform you or your rights, protect you against CPS abuses, and make sure that you’re not being railroaded or lied to (which unfortunately often happens!)

At The Kronzek Firm, we have spent decades protecting parent’s rights, and helping families stay together. We understand the many ways in which CPS workers abuse their power, or step over the line in the name of getting what they want. Call us today at 866 766 5245 and we can help you fight back. Now is the time for an aggressive approach, so don’t wait, and put your family at risk!