Should Children's Protective Services be held accountable for their actions?

Question

The statistics for mistakes made by CPS are out there. It appears as though more than 60% of the families they get involved with never needed them but are forced to undergo Gestapo tactics. A large percentage of the Social Workers in Children's Protective Services never had their own children--yet think the families should fit into a predetermined mold regardless of culture or familly dynamics. An even larger percentage of these workers were at one time abused as children, or thought they had been treated poorly as children. Young children are taken from their homes, and placed in foster care without any investigating, no warrants from a judge, but the words or lies of someone who does not even know what is going on...and a family can be destroyed. Who is hurt? The children! The Children often need to be protected from these kinds of tactics. Ombudsmen who are there to oversee, get fired for trying to do what is right.

I find there is something wrong with a system if so many people are not being serviced, but are being criminalized by it. The system of "corrections" has never improved anyone's life...except perhaps for potential victims. Look at the prison and jail overflow problem. CPS in my county boasts having 1800 children in services at all times. They get huge monetary bonuses for placing children up for adoption. Their mission statement is to reunify families and provide services to prevent disruption, however the first step they take is to remove the children (which causes permanent emotional scars) then they investigate...by asking victims questions, and not communicating with the alleged culprit. They always assume the culprit is guilty; without considering the family dynamics, or history of the child--one who might be a liar who has been known to stretch the truth to benefit his/herself.

The statistics that I have seen talk of more than 80% of the cases CPS (and similar agencies) has across the nation are based on fabrication, and they know it, but won't back down. Like an enraged pit bull...the social workers become very emotional without looking into facts or logic; they assume the child has been abused in some way, and have to become combative. Remember the majority of them have the idea that as children they were abused as well...with that in mind, is there room for unbiased judgment?

No matter what, I think every agency needs to be accountable for the actions they take and own up to their errors. CPS follows procedures regardless of facts. They roll forward without an off switch. The procedures are in cement--anyone in the way is steam rolled, and the children become institutionalized...that is "in the 'welfare' system". Children in the system do not have a high success rate, once they are 18, they are left to fend for themselves...and a recent report I heard stated 96% of these children end up dead, in prison, or on drugs...or all of the above. Children are a case file, and number...and $$ to these agencies. I am sure there are decent people working for these agencies, however the procedures need to be taken on a case-by-case basis...individualized to fit the needs of the children and parents.

Carrie S...I was also taught similar things when I interned to be a SW in a non-profit child abuse prevention program. I know them from the inside as well as the outside. I believe every entity must be responsible and own up to the mistakes they make...in fact the CPS mission statement agrees with what you are saying. The fact they don't follow that is horrible. Run away mothers can also manipulate the children and system to make the father look bad.

I agree that children need to be protected. I also believe that properly following the procedures that are in place would protect innocent parents as well. When an agency as powerful as CPS does not try to correct the errors they make, the children need to be protected from them as well.

Answer 1

Social Services seemed like such a good idea at the time. Just like abortion--no more unwanted children = end of problem.

It didn't work out. Kids got where they could play the system off against their parent--this includes school counselors as well. Unfortunately many parent were very permissive with their children to the point that the kids became such spoiled rotten brats that the parents can't even stand them. In some states it has become the law that spanking is considered abuse. Parent are getting where they have no control at all. The system dictates.

In Plato's Republic we are told that the state should raise the kids because the parents can't be trusted. Hitler based his Youth organization based on Socrates Philosophy as stated in Plato's Republic. We are very fast falling in line.

I think we should do away with Social Services, who seem in most cases to be very young inexperienced people, who have little regard for parent rights, and remove counselors from the school. Probably wouldn't do any good; things have gone too far. With both parent's working to provide the "good life,' the state already has control.

Answer 2

This is not really a question but a rant in my opinion so I will give you an answer to the first sentance.

Yes and no for the most part I go with no as it is children need protection and there are many many abused children so each case should be investigated. I don't know where you live but around me they don't take children away with out an investigation unless the child looks to be in distress such as extremely malnourished or they can see signs of extreme physical abuse.
The social work program I studied emphasized keeping families together and even tries to place children who are taken away with family. I did not go into childrens services because it sadens me to see abused children.
We were also taught that there are a lot of right ways to raise a child and even though I may not agree as long as the child is not in danger it is not wrong.
If there are drugs involved often children are placed in temporary homes until the parent becomes able to parent again, and personally I don't like that because a child can go to a foster home for years and then be placed back with a maternal parent they don't even know but family preservation is taught and stricktly adheared to around here.

On the other hand I get irritated with the system that will have your children taken away because no one would watch you kid when they were sick so you could work and you left you kid at home.

We also have sanctions here for false reporting such as a person who doesn't like you or family member trying to make you look like a bad parent.

Answer 3

"The statistics for mistakes made by CPS are out there."

They aren't mistakes....look at the money generated and it doesn't stop with CPS. Also, there are many cases where children are willing to lie if a father is using them and other family members to stalk their mother. Especially in cases where the father wants nothing to do with child(ren) unless people are willing to harass the mother. In many cases the children are aware of the other parent's game as well as CPS. I would not go as far as calling teens innocent victims altho the reality of this is that it is the process of a parent/family/cps driving a child to wrath and the creation of poor personality traits.

Answer 4

Gestapo tactics to be sure. Not all CPS workers are clueless and most are honestly trying to do right by the child but I have witnessed cases that boggle the mind and defy common sense. It is scary to think of some of these people making life altering decisions for an entire family. In short, yes, THEY should undergo stringent overview and THEY should be accountable for ALL decisions.

Answer 5

I agree with you to a point. But let me clue you in a little more. There are hundreds of children out there who are in need of foster homes due to neglect, abuse, born addicted to drugs and so forth. I understand there are instances were things have gone wrong. A social worker does not come into a home unless they have been contacted by an outside source who has accused a parent/s of one of the above. Once they are contacted it is their responsiblity and civil duty to investigate for the sake of the child. I they feel the children are in danger then they will take them out and the family is investigated. Usually it's not just the Social worker who makes the final decision about the situation. But is done in colaboration with a judge, lawyer, and other social services personal. Social services is very short handed right especally in my state. They have more work then they can handle.
The stories that are heard by the public, even though it may seem like a lot, is not compared to the number of kids who truely needs foster placement.
Kids need to be protected at all costs.

Answer 6

I have heard of this happening time and time again. There is one incident that really freaked me out. Two teenage girls wanted to go find out what their Mom's side of the family was like because they had not been around her in ten years. Their Dad said it would be okay but they had to wait until school was out and take turns going because one had a more dominate personality than the other one and he wanted to make sure they both got equal unbiased time. The girls did not want to wait and they wanted to go together so they tried to get out of the home by calling CPS on their very strict step-mother. When that didn't work after calling a few times then they called and said there Dad did something to one of them two years before. CPS bought into it hook, line and sinker and placed the two girls in the mother's home who had lost custody years before due to extreme neglect and abuse. They were taken clear across the US where no one checked up on them. The man who had worked 10 years towards a teaching degree and was a good family man lost his jobs because he was working two of them, went on that hideous list for 5 years and had threats, The worst part is he could no longer live at home with his other 4 children who suffered terribly as they were very close. One of them started wetting himself. The older girls were jealous and hated their step-mom. I saw one of them one day and asked her if there was anything she wanted to tell her Dad...She cried and said, "Tell him I'm sorry". The other girl said she didn't know it would turn out this way.The older girl was 16 and wanted a boyfriend. Her Dad had a rule for his girls and told them they could have group dates while in high school, regular dates in college but no marriage until they finished college. They didn't cotton to that one either. Needless to say, he was crushed. He was treated like a criminal and other people decided the fate of him and his family. Even if the girls came later and said nothing happened it would not change anything. Things are not always what they seem, are they. Mmm

Answer 7

CPS is a racket with a bunch of moneygrubbing b's at the helm.

There certainly needs to be a petition to bring this child-traumatizing bunch to a halt.

The children are ABUSED by this God-awful and some even commit suicide. No org should be allowed to break in a home and nab someone's children escept for noticeable neglect, physical or sexual abuse.

This is one of the worst orgs of this country and Congress needs to know of their tormentuous dealings and the affects they have on children.

Answer 8

no i don't think they should be accountable because when there is a call of some kind of abuse they haveto do some kind of report which they have at least by law 72 houres for every file of report that is made and some people out there go over bored on how kids are abuse, besides there are like 19 to 30 kinds of abuse by recogniizing child abuse and neglect like here are some myths vs' realiyty
1.CHILD SEUAL ABUSE IS RARE
1 in 4 children (25%) by the age of 18
2.MOST SEXUAL ABUSE OCCURES AT THE HANDS OF STANGERS!
only 10%, 90% know perpetrator, 45-50% of cases it is a family member
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT STATISTICS
4 children die every day as a result of child abuse and 3 out of 4 of these victimis are under the age of 4
child abuse accurs at every socio-economic level,across ethnic and cultural lines with in all regions and at all levels
1500 children die every year from child abuse and neglect (4 children per day) and 79% are younger than 4
in 2003 there were 906,000 chid abuse convictions
child protective aervices must look into all reports within 72 hours of all reported abuse, 25% is sexual abuse

now you tell me what would you do for a child that need your help ignore it or do something about it so if you are asking is the CPS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR SOMETHING NO CAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO DO THERE JOB THAT ME MY PERSPECTIVE. just think about it what would you do about it!

Answer 9

they should be accountable for their actions as well accountable for actions whoever abuses a child , a child's future should nod, must not , never should be neglected by a mother , a father a custody holder, neither from who is supposed to be their protection , the government should be more strong with punishment for parents soc serv agencies equally

Answer 10

Iknow people are over worked and underpaided but were talking about children So the answer is yes yes and yes!