Think about the articles you read online and in the news. Anytime parents are mentioned as being accused of child abuse or having CPS remove their children or petition the courts to have their parental rights terminated, these extreme measures are explained as warranted. After all, these parents have been accused of abusing or neglecting their children. They’re not good moms and dads. They don’t deserve to keep their kids. So it’s the right thing to do, isn’t it?
Just because you’ve been accused of a crime, doesn’t mean you’re guilty.
The number of wrongful arrests and wrongful convictions that take place in Michigan every year is astounding. And we can’t begin to tell you how many clients we’ve helped every year who’ve been falsely accused of some kind of child abuse or neglect. It’s ridiculous! So we’d like to start out by reminding people that just because someone is accused of hurting a child in some way, doesn’t mean they actually did anything wrong. Not that CPS has ever allowed the facts to get in the way of doing whatever they want.
The terms “good” and “bad” are entirely subjective!
The idea of what makes a parent ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is open to interpretation. One person might think it’s good parenting to punish your kids in a certain way, while another person may think those very same methods are abusive. It’s all based on personal opinion. And that applies to CPS workers as well – they tend to let their personal opinions about parents and their parenting styles affect their decisions. So a CPS worker’s claim that a parent is abusive is a lot more subjective than you think!
Spanking is a grey area that can lead to CPS interactions.
Michigan law allows parents to use “reasonable force” when disciplining a child. But there’s no clear definition of what “reasonable” is in the law. So what one person thinks is reasonable could look like abuse in another person’s opinion. So if you decide to spank your kids in Michigan, be aware that you might have to explain your disciplinary choices to a CPS worker or a Judge. A good rule of thumb would be, if you decided to spank your kids, to not leave any marks on them. But even then, all your child has to do is mention to a teacher or daycare provider that their parent “hits” them, and you could find a CPS worker at your house asking invasive questions about your disciplinary choices.
Fighting CPS allegations of abuse takes a special skill set
At The Kronzek Firm, our skilled and experienced CPS defense attorneys have spent decades helping Michigan parents keep themselves and their children safe from overzealous CPS workers. So if you need help defending your family, call 866 766 5245 today and get help from the people who understand exactly what needs to happen next. And don’t forget to join us next time, for the wrap up on this discussion about the many reasons CPS uses to try and take kids away from their parents.