Anyone with experience with CPS in Texas? (child support, care, attorneys)

[Hedgehog_Mom]

We have a family friend who has five stepchildren. The youngest child (age 7 or 8) went to school and the teacher noticed a bruise on her throat. She said it looked like a hickey. The school sent a note home with the child that the mother had to bring the children in to the CPS office. She took them in today. They made her sign a paper (she was so scared that she didn't read it) and told her that her kids couldn't be anywhere near her husband for the next three months. She took the kids and half the savings account and left to stay with a relative.

Two years ago, our friend caught the oldest daughter (14) sending naked pictures to her boyfriend on the phone, and took her cell phone away. The girl told her mother that her stepfather had touched her inappropriately one time. After a day or two, the girl told her mother she had made it up because she was mad that her phone was taken away. She was grounded for a long time. Today she told the CPS worker about the entire incident, including that she had made it up because she was mad. They went after the mother for it, saying she should have reported it so they could investigate it.

Our friend is mostly worried about his wife...he wanted her and the kids to stay in the house and he would leave, but she said she couldn't afford the house. (She works at a gas station and the kids' bio dad is in prison, so no child support from him.) We're worried that he may be in some kind of legal trouble but none of us really know what to expect.

If you've dealt with CPS for a situation like this, what usually happens?

[hypocore]

In my experience, being a child care professional dealing with CPS issues from my end, that is not how CPS works.
If a school thought a child had something they determined reportable after asking the child and the parent about it they would then report it to CPS. CPS may make contact directly with the child at school however they will not use the school to contact the parent. In other words a school should not be sending home a note asking a parent to come into a CPS office. The school would be interviewed regarding the child and that would be the end of their involvement.

CPS would then interview that child, alone. They will then interview the parent and if they felt necessary other children in the home would also be interviewed. If they were told anything that they believed put the children in danger around their step father, the mother would be told she cannot allow him around her children at all. It is up to the mother to make sure that happens. This will be an open case until they either determine that there is no merit to the case, the husband completes required training/counseling, the mother completes required training/counseling and/or the husband is proved to be guilty of the allegations and is permanently removed from the situation.

If the mother had been told about a previous accusation against the husband and did not report it, then they will indeed discuss that and include it in their report. She will have broken the law by not reporting it.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Originally Posted by hypocore

If the mother had been told about a previous accusation against the husband and did not report it, then they will indeed discuss that and include it in their report. She will have broken the law by not reporting it.

That would explain how she was so scared that she signed the papers without even reading them...they probably told her she was going to jail otherwise.

[Sally_Sparrow]

Originally Posted by hypocore

In my experience, being a child care professional dealing with CPS issues from my end, that is not how CPS works.
If a school thought a child had something they determined reportable after asking the child and the parent about it they would then report it to CPS. CPS may make contact directly with the child at school however they will not use the school to contact the parent. In other words a school should not be sending home a note asking a parent to come into a CPS office. The school would be interviewed regarding the child and that would be the end of their involvement.

Yes, that part is very weird. The CPS worker would normally contact the parent via mail or telephone or a visit to the house. Not via the school.

Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom

That would explain how she was so scared that she signed the papers without even reading them...they probably told her she was going to jail otherwise.

I always hesitate to comment on situations regarding CPS because I get branded a conspiracy nut but really, you would not believe the things I have seen and experienced and I am not alone in that.

They will say whatever they want to say to get the results they are after.

They are not bound by the same sort of rules and "burden of proof" that the normal legal system would lead one to count on.

If there is any money available for an attorney I would recommend contacting one right away but there are many attorneys who are useless when dealing with CPS so you have to be particular.

She (the mother) should be able to get a copy of whatever it is she signed if she needs one. Probably a 'safety plan'.

You can dm me if you want, I can give you a link to a website where there are forums, attorney recommendations, etc. for this sort of situation.