Child Protection Services??

Question

I recently asked a question about my son hitting his head often. An answer I got has been on my mind for about a day. They said that if CPS was called they'd do an investigation and everything would be okay. My son isn't hitting his head hard enough to leave bruises, nor do I hit or beat him but I was just wondering; what kind of investigations do they do to insure a child isn't getting abused? How do can they tell that the child is merely falling down or bumping his/her head or body on something? Thank you for your answers!

Here is the question if you feel the need to look:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvyXdz3lwBAU8YR7u6aMIMvsy6IX?qid=20060919073204AAlJORQ

Did you read the question that this is refering to? When kids start moving around they hit thier heads on just about everything. They run into things, they fall down, they sit up and knock their head, and things like that. It's just part of crawling, sitting up, and pulling up.

Is your child crawling, sitting up, or pulling up on her own? That's the causse...you have a lot to look forward to!

Answer 1

My friend works for family sevices, and she explained that the way an injury happens makes it very obvious if it is abuse or not. I am always afraid because you hear on the news that a baby was takien from its mother for child abuse, but the mother says it fell or something. So I always wonder, what if it DID just fall??? My friend said babies are very "pliable" and jsut falling off a changing table or down a few stairs doesn't break their bones or their skull. And the way a bone breaks gives and indication of how it happend. Plus, people know child behavior, and it is quite normal for children to hit themselves (my son whaacks himself with toys all the freakin time!!), so if your explaination matches the injury, they don't worry about it. Plus, you have to have a huge history to have a child removed. When you hear of a child being removed from a mother it usually is the last straw, and lots more stuff happened before.

Answer 2

I read it and I think the one who mentioned CPS is just worried about the extreme. If they were to check on you they would talk to you and suggest safety measures that you would need. They would do a follow-up to check if everything is all right. It causes more stress than anything else. Do you have corner bumpers for sharp-edged tables? Gates at the stairs? Chemicals out of reach? Those are the major things.
Babies will fall while experimanting with those legs and feet of theirs and bumps and bruises happen frequently. My house has w2w carpeting but if it didn't I can't imagine how many bumps my son would have had by now. Rubber mats for the play area are good but you can't cover your whole house with it. Short of making him wear a helmet there isn't much else you can do - just keep your eyes on him and try to catch him whenever possible as you have been doing.
If someone calls CPS on you it is probably because they have an issue about something else and are trying to make your life miserable (as long as you get along with your neighbors and in-laws you should be all set - lol).

Answer 3

I can only speak for how they do it in Canada. Depending on the age of the age they may interview your child without you in the room, you can stand where the child can't see you but you can hear them.
If the child is not old enough to be interviewed they will examine the child and the bruising (they will do this with an older child as well). They will look at the bond that you and your child have, watch you two interact. Talk to your friends, family, and neighbours, and your child's school.
A lot of experienced workers can tell what caused a bruise. Plus they look at if they have ever had contact with you before, if your explanation seems reasonable. If they keep getting called back to your place then you may have to worry, but one call doesn't usually mean that you have anything to worry about.

Answer 4

Falling down is a normal part of learning to be upright. What you can do is to try and minimize the damage by removing furniture that poses danger or pad sharp corners.

I don't think ppl, let alone CPS would look at a 7 month old who had a bruise on his forehead as being the victim of abuse. Were he a victim of abuse, there would be other telling signs of neglect and bruises in places that wouldn't get bruised by a simple fall.
A large bruise on the arm, say the size of an adults hand, would be abnormal. Or a serious mark on the cheek of an infant, that looks like indentations of fingertips.

Answer 5

I think CPS would be able to tell by injuries on the child. They have experts on bruising and can even tell how hard the child was hit and what they were hit with.

I can't believe people on here have the nerve to accuse you of being a bad mom when all you were trying to do was get advice from others on prevention. It's funny how people hide behind their keyboards. Good Luck with your son and know that this is perfectly normal. (If not then we all belong in jail. LOL)

Answer 6

Whoever gave you that answer was either mistaken or assuming that something else was going on. CPS is called in when there is the possibility of neglect or abuse. I don't understand why people use these boards to criticize or say hurtful things. But, when you are dealing with the web, you are open to every level. Take it with a grain of salt. As far as your initial question, my son went through a stage of hitting his head on every table, chair, cabinet etc. We all went through it when we were babies too. Try to baby proof your house as much as possible but no, you can't prevent every bump and bruise. As far as the linoleum - I would set up play areas for him with rugs and just keep an eye on him as he wanders. Do not call CPS unless you think your child is in a unhealthy living situation.

Answer 7

To American Idol and Jevic: why don't you get a life? There is nothing wrong with being worried about your child.
That said, I think you should take your son to his pediatrician and have them check him out just to be sure that everything is o.k. with him. Explain to the doc that he falls so much and his equilibrium is off that you are concerned he may have a medical condition. An inner ear infection can cause loss of balance, as can a build-up of fluid behind his eardrum.
I have 4 children ages 13,11,3 and 10 months. Every one of mine did the same thing, so I would not worry too much.
Oh, and its a good idea to let doc check him because if CPS was ever called on you, you can get doc to report that he is ok, or if he has a condition, he can explain to them. They don't usually argue with a doc. Who are they to know better?
P.S. Make sure your house is spotless, and if they did visit and you don't like what they say, be nice but firm with them. Don't let them walk all over you. Be careful what you say to them, and call a lawyer immediately.

Answer 8

I know a girl who works for CPS, she's the "baby snatcher"(I have no idea what else to call her).

They will interview you, and your kids seperatly as well as talk to friends, neighbors, coworkers, teachers, doctors, and anyone else who has regular contact with you or your children. As long as no one has anything bad to say about you or your parenting or the way you treat your child, then nothing would come of it.

I also wanted to add that kids get bumps and bruises all the time. Unless she's got bruises that look like hands, or black eyes, or marks that look like she's been slapped or punched you most likely don't have to worry about CPS being called.

Answer 9

Don't worry about child protective services. YOu are obviously a good mom and your child's bumps and bruises will be normal for his age. Sometimes my daughter is more black and blue than "white" because she falls down so much;she is also prone to unusual injuries as when she got her buttcheek trapped between two tricycles and got it horribly bruised. They investigate very thoroughly before they go to the extent of removing a child from it's home. One thing they (and pediatricians) look for, for example, is that if the bruises are on the front of the legs or the back. My ped once told me they don't concern themselves about front bruises since kids hurt themselves there all the time, but they will be more concerned about bruises on the back of the legs (from a beating or the strap). Although mine are always falling on top of toys and hurting the back too, of course!

Answer 10

They will contact your childs pediatrician to see if they have noted any suspicious marks or bruises. Also if your child is in daycare or whoever watches your child while they are at work, they contact them as well. Basically they'll check up on you at home and make sure its a safe clean environment. I've heard they do surprise visits too so that you dont expect them and are in your regualr element.

Doubt you'd be investigated for your child hitting their head tho, as you noted, most kids when they become mobile become a little bruise themselves. I know once my daughter started running it was scraped knees all summer!