Tag: CPS Involvement
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Understanding the Role of the Office of the Child Advocate in Michigan
Navigating the complexities of Michigan’s child welfare system can be daunting for families. The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) plays a crucial role in ensuring children’s rights and well-being are upheld. This independent state agency is tasked to investigate complaints and make recommendations to improve Michigan’s child welfare (CPS) system. Investigating Complaints A complaint…
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Defending Against CPS Allegations of Shaken Baby Syndrome: Insights from the Michigan Supreme Court – People v. Lemons
Children’s Protective Services (CPS) cases can be extremely stressful and have life altering consequences for parents. When allegations of child abuse, such as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), arise, the stakes are even higher. The Michigan Supreme Court case, People v. Lemons, provides valuable insights into defending against CPS allegations and accusations. This blog explores key…
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Empowering Michigan Families: The Need for Enhanced Education in Caregiver Rights Legislation
Here in Michigan, the well-being of children and the rights of parents and guardians are of utmost importance to all of us. As with other states, Michigan has legislation to address child abuse and neglect, influenced by federal funding mandates. This legislation must balance the state’s interest in child safety with Constitutionally mandated respect for…
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Strengthening Tribal Families Act: Safeguarding Native Children and Cultures
The Strengthening Tribal Families Act of 2023 is a significant legislative step toward protecting Native American children and preserving their cultural heritage. Introduced in the 118th Congress, this bill aims to enhance compliance of Children’s Protective Services with the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA), which establishes federal standards for the removal and placement of Indian children…
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What Happens to My Child While I’m in Prison?
Parents who are or may be incarcerated both share a concern about what happens to their child while they are in jail and how their arrest may affect their parental rights. The main concern may be whether the parent’s new criminal record may influence CPS’s ability to take their children. The short answer is no.…
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CPS Petitioned The Court to Have my Kids Taken Away! What Happens Now? (Pt 3)
Welcome back and thanks for joining us. We’ve been talking about what happens when CPS petitions the court to have your children taken away, and what you can do about it. But before we continue, we just want to remind all our readers of one very important thing, and that is: Don’t run away with…
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What Happens When a Mandated Reporter Calls CPS to Report Suspected Abuse? (Pt 1)
Covid19 has changed a lot of things. For one – there are way fewer calls coming in to CPS from mandated reporters, as there are considerably fewer opportunities for those people to interact with children and notice signs of what they suspect may be abuse or neglect. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t mandated reporters…
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Why You Should ALWAYS Challenge a Report of ‘Suspected’ Abuse From CPS.
Here in Michigan, when a mandated reporter, or even just a concerned citizen suspects that a child might be the victim of abuse or neglect, they call CPS and make a report. At that point, a CPS worker reaches out to the family, either by phone or in person (depending on the severity of the…
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Is Mandatory Reporting Destroying Michigan’s Families?
Reporting something to CPS essentially means that if you “see something, say something”. It’s the idea that if you witness, or even suspect that a child is being abused or neglected, you should report that to CPS so that they can investigate it. Mandatory reporting, on the other hand, is a little different. This is…
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The CPS Cycle: Do Kids in The System Become Parents in The System?
Foster care, while serving a very important need in communities across the country, also puts children in a very difficult position. Removing them from the caregivers they’ve always known, undermining stability and breaking up families, kids in foster care have been shown to struggle with vastly increased mental health and behavioral issues. And that shouldn’t…