Protective Services Investigation of Suspicious Bruising
My question involves child abuse or neglect in the State of: California
My son is 10, and he's a rowdy boy, and he plays outside with his friends at the playground, next thing I know he has a bruise on the side of his face from falling. Goes to school the next day and teacher asks about his bruise, he says idk, (my son being forgetful) the school calls CPS on me. CPS comes to my house, I was not there at the time, my mom was there and my son was there. She only came to the front door, asking where I was and I was at work. Next day came along CPS interviews my son. Assistant principle called and told me, I said ok. and asked my son the questions she asked. He said he fell from playing with his friends he thinks it was a rock. She asked plenty of other questions and took pictures of his face and his top of his body.
Nothing there of course except the bruise on his face, which pains me to say the bruise is like 2 bruise line markings. She proceeded to ask questions like: what does your mom and dad like to drink, do they ever race in the car? Do they argue? what happens if you get in trouble, but my son said nothing but good things. milk, apple juice, no racing, no arguing, takes ipad away for a week. CPS worker asks why did he tell his teacher that he said "idk" when she asked about his bruise? he said my mom and dad told me to put ice on it.
My question is that the cps worker calls me a week later after she interviewed my child, saying she has come concerns and would like to speak to me in person about it. I am not sure whether I have to worry or get a lawyer since this is my first time dealing with CPS? I have also done alot of research and I am scared to think they will take him away because for one second I was not able to see my child fall from the playground. I am so paranoid I had my son go to the doctor to check is non existent bruise which was gone a week later to just check if he's ok. and my doctor was just telling me it's fine and don't worry. am I a overly worried mom? should I get a lawyer to support this case?
one thing that does scare me is that I was involved with theft in the past, which was 5 years ago, and they say online that cps can look up information about you to get dirt. but I did the community service and did all the legal stuff to get myself in a better place which I am right now. please advise?
Re: Should I Worry About CPS Taking My Son
Don't panic. You've done nothing wrong. The worker just wants to do a follow up. 10 year old boys get bruises. They're just concerned because it was on his face and he didn't tell the teacher the cause. The teacher is a mandatory reporter so even if your son had said how it really happened, they still would have had to report it. You took him to the doctor and he's fine. You don't need a lawyer at this point. Just meet with worker and it will be fine. My son, at around age 10, decided to try to straighten his bike rim with a rubber mallet. He ended up hitting himself in the eye with it when it bounced back. We took him to the doctor he was fine but had a huge black eye. The school called CPS and they wanted to talk to us even though the worker that responded at the time knew me. I wasn't happy but it's just their procedure.
Re: Should I Worry About CPS Taking My Son
You don't have to talk to CPS and you don't have to let them in your home unless they have a court order. If you don't want to talk to them don't. If you want to talk to a lawyer, find one that does free consultations and see if they have experience with CPS workers.
You do not have to talk to CPS or the police or anyone if you don't want to. It shouldn't be a big issue. One time I talked to them because I mentioned to her doctor after I kicked my then husband out and filed for divorce that the night before I did it, he had gotten mad and threw a chair. No one was around. He was mad because I had laid down with our daughter while the other kids were there and then he saw me on my cell phone. She called CPS - because that's her job. I didn't know until I was about to take my daughter to the ER because she had a central line at the time and it was clogged. Just as I was about to leave, knock on the door. CPS and a detective. I told them I only had a few minutes and I talked to them because kind of was flustered and not thinking. But they asked about that incident. I told them I kicked him out, he was at his dad's and I filed for divorce. Glanced around the living room in my apartment which was a little cluttered at the time with her clothes.
A week later she called me on the phone and asked me questions about him and any history of violence and other things but then said she was closing the case because there didn't seem to be any issues since he was out of the home.
It's up to you if you want to talk to the CPS worker or not ultimately.
Re: Should I Worry About CPS Taking My Son
Several county CPS agencies in CA have come under fire for not following up and interviewing the parents when there was report by a teacher of injury to a child. In one county, the CPS workers found themselves being prosecuted and in another they were sued by the non-custodial parent for failing to protect. It is now standard policy to interview the parents/caregivers whether CPS actually suspects anything or not. While you don't have to talk to them, if you have nothing to hide, it's smarter to just talk to them and they will go away. Depending upon what county the poster lives in, you can't guarantee that CPS won't haunt the poster until she talks to them. They're not only looking out for the child, they're covering their own behinds.
Re: Should I Worry About CPS Taking My Son
Ok, yes I will just talk to the cps worker just to get them off my back. My friends had told me to just give general answers, and not to be specific about anything she asks? Basically not give too much fire to the flame, and the less information about me the better?
I am also not sure if it would be ok for her to talk to me at my house? I have read a lot of cases and it would not be best because of things she can "assume" would be bad to the child's environment. Not saying my house is a clutter or bad neighborhood, but I don't want to give her any more reason for her to think I would be a "bad" mom. I even did receive some free advice, but it was half and half, some said yes so that you have nothing to hide, and some said don't because you never know what they can find on you.
Also, should I even consider asking the cps worker if I can record the conversation?
btw I did look her up on linkdin, (not knowing you can see who searched you) and she has only been a cps worker for a year. Her last job was working at starbucks. Not sure if I should be wary because she is new and she is going to be "by the book" and also not sure if she even knows what is a bad case compared to a false case.
Re: Should I Worry About CPS Taking My Son
In order to close the case, they may need to check on your sons living conditions. They may want to see his bedroom, look in the refrigerator for food (and to see if there is alcohol). Look in the pantry for food.
If everything checks out at the home and they believe that the child injury wasn't from neglect, they will close the case. You want them to close the case and not keep it open, so it would be in your best interest to comply with CPS orders. Good Luck.
Re: Should I Worry About CPS Taking My Son
If the CPS worker has concerns. Those concerns may or may not cause further problems. If the worker only wanted to close the case. There would be no reason for concerns.
Re: Should I Worry About CPS Taking My Son
You did nothing wrong so stop acting you did. Just meet with her and politely answer the questions. If you want her to go away and close the case, don't be defensive or behave like you've got something to hide.
Re: Should I Worry About CPS Taking My Son
thank you guys for all the advice, will update once I meet with cps.
Spoke with cps, asked questions about my history if I was abused as a child, my son if he gets in trouble what happens, asked what we typically do. I answered politely made her laugh, which is a good sign, and I asked what allegations were made against me, and she said the placement of the bruise and how it looks is a vulnerable area so we think it is child abuse. I had signed over a release of the medical record of when I brought him to his doctor, but in the paper it said ALL medical records but she assured me it is only for the date of the visit. And it also said that cps can hold those records for up to the case closing and/ or up to a year. Should I have not signed that release?
She said cases typically close in 4-6 weeks so I might get a letter in the mail if case is closed or not.
Spoke with cps, asked questions about my history if I was abused as a child, my son if he gets in trouble what happens, asked what we typically do. I answered politely made her laugh, which is a good sign, and I asked what allegations were made against me, and she said the placement of the bruise and how it looks is a vulnerable area so we think it is child abuse. I had signed over a release of the medical record of when I brought him to his doctor, but in the paper it said ALL medical records but she assured me it is only for the date of the visit. And it also said that cps can hold those records for up to the case closing and/ or up to a year. Should I have not signed that release?
She said cases typically close in 4-6 weeks so I might get a letter in the mail if case is closed or not.