Hey there, thanks for joining us again for more on this unsettling but important topic – the factors that influence CPS decisions when they’re trying to figure out if a kid is at risk of abuse or neglect. Specifically, if they think the risk is high enough to warrant removing that child from their home.
As we pointed out in the previous article, simple things like lice and seasonally inappropriate clothing can both influence a CPS worker’s decision to remove a child, but those factors along don’t usually do it. It’s only when they’re more extreme, and often in conjunction with other signs of neglect. Moving on, here are a few more factors that can exacerbate a situation:
Lack of food can make a parent look neglectful.
There are many reasons why there might not be food in a family’s pantry. It could be as simple as ‘Mom’s been really busy and hasn’t had time to go to the grocery store in the last few days, so we’re running low.’ Or maybe the much more heartbreaking option, ‘Mom works a low-pay full time job to pay the bills without any help, and we don’t have enough money to buy all the food we need.”
Unfortunately, poverty is often mistaken for child neglect. Parents who are struggling to put food on the table because they can’t get out of debt, or can’t get ahead of their monthly bills, are sometimes labelled as bad parents with neglected children. It’s a tragedy, but it’s true. However, this can look worse when those same parents support smoking habits, or drug habit. Parents who are struggling with addiction need just as much help, but rarely get it because their addiction cycle is labelled as their “choice”.”
Kids with high metabolisms and certain disorders can look neglected.
And while we’re on the subject of kids who don’t get enough food, there’s another issue that needs to be addressed, and that’s underweight kids. According to the Mayo Clinic, anyone who is 15 to 20% below the normal weight for age and height is classified as underweight. But in many of those cases, especially when we’re talking about kids, there are many reasons beyond neglect for why a child would be below the average weight range for their age and height.
- Certain medications
- Genetics
- High metabolism
- Gastrointestinal or liver problems
- Hyperthyroidism
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Heart conditions
- Excess stress, anxiety, or other psychological disorders
However, a CPS worker can take one look at a really skinny kid and assume they’re not being properly fed. Couple that with a poor household that doesn’t have a lot of food in the home, and the automatic assumption is that the child is slowly being starved to death, when in truth they just have an undiagnosed medical condition.
Don’t let CPS make you out to be something you’re not.
When a CPS worker steps into the picture, they do so from the perspective that your child is a victim. There is no room in their perspective for the fact that this could be a mistake, or there could be a perfectly rational explanation for why your child looks skinny, or there isn’t much in your pantry. Which means you’re going to have to fight hard to get them to see your side of the story. And that’s where we come in…
At The Kronzek Firm, we’ve spent decades helping families all over Michigan to protect their children from CPS overreach. We believe that the state has no business telling parents how to raise their kids, which is a violation of your constitutional rights, and we want to help you protect your rights. So call 866 766 5245 today, and talk to one of our experienced CPS defense attorneys. And join us next time for a look at more reasons CPS may try to accuse you of neglect and take your kids away!