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  1. #1

    Question When Child Protective Services Aren't Enough

    My question involves child abuse or neglect in the State of: MO

    I have 3 step-children in Missouri and we get visitation during the summer and winter breaks. Currently CPS makes visits to the house and has been for some time now but the mother is still being extremely emotionally abusive to the children. Last year she actually attacked her daughter and the CPS worker said the mother was just stressed out. Last night she went on to actually tell her over and over her father doesn't love her, scream at her and be extremely cruel. The daughter is now afraid to talk to the CPS worker because of last year. Who can we talk to to get someone to listen to the children and not make excuses for the mother. We even have several saved voice mails of the mother leaving extremely nasty messages in front of the children and in one she actually makes her 7 year old get on the phone and repeat hurtful things.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: When Child Protective Services Aren't Enough

    If dad believes he has legal grounds and sufficient evidence to modify custody, he should bring a motion to modify custody.

    If you and dad don't want custody, CPS isn't a magic wand - he has much more responsibility for the care and welfare of his children than does any state agency.

  3. #3

    Default Re: When Child Protective Services Aren't Enough

    Emotional abuse isn't going to get CPS action unless that emotional abuse is somehow tied to physical neglegence (ie left alone too early in age or development, no food in the house), squalor (no running water, trash everywhere), OR is tied to criminal activity. The majority of emotional/verbal abuse is perfectly legal, and thus isn't going to get their feathers ruffled. Parents are simply permitted to be emotionally/verbally abusive, and the government isn't going to step in, SO LONG AS the line to physical abuse isn't breeched. As it stands, it sounds like at some point in the past there was concern over such a breech, and thus CPS is continuing to make vists. But you are bound to be sorely disappointed if you are anticipating action over NON-physical issues.

    The kinds of issues you're describing are MUCH better addressed by a combination of having the child assessed by a counselor and working with a Guardian ad Litem to bring the issues from a neutral third party before the court in a custody evaluation.

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