CPS: Three of the most polarizing letters around, right up there with FBI, CIA and IRS. People either see them as heroes and love what they do, or think of them as villains and have nothing good to say about them. But whether you are a CPS supporter or not, there are a few indisputable facts that you should know about. Because heroes or villains aside, the system is broken.

This may sound harsh, but one only has to look at the raw data to understand. The number of children left in abusive homes, where the dangers were well-documented but insufficient action was taken, is substantial. On the flip side, the number of children that were taken from their homes because of false allegations that were never substantiated, or families that were torn apart when something much more productive, like parenting classes, could have solved the problem, is heartbreaking.

Another fact that points to a broken system, is the state’s use of the Child Abuser Registry. The fact that a person’s name can be added to this list without the benefit of a conviction or even a judicial hearing where they can state their case and defend themselves, is ridiculous. CPS agents argue that it’s a good idea to keep records of people with whom they’ve had former dealings, but this list is a travesty. No one should be denied due process.

Also a source of trouble is the fact that CPS agents are not required to follow the same procedural rules as police officers when gathering evidence and interviewing people. This means that they can and do threaten people with removal if they don’t cooperate, twist what frightened parents say during interviews, and misrepresent their own intentions when entering people’s homes. All without any consequences, as they are not bound by the same rules and regulations as officers of the law.

Finally, there is the fact that CPS workers who are assigned to work with families in addressing their needs, are then allowed to testify against that same family in court. This is the equivalent of the law insisting that you get therapy to address a personal problem, and then requiring that your therapist share the details of your therapy sessions in court. It hardly engenders trust and honesty between family members and agency workers.
While CPS has come a long way in it’s efforts to overcome the problems and obstacles that the agency has encountered along the way, there is still much to be done. CPS workers need more training, more accountability, and more oversight. They are required, by the very nature of their work, to make life or death decisions every day, and we understand that hindsight is always 20/20. But for our broken system, there has got to be a better way.