True Prevention: Parents who need support will be provided concrete services to improve their situations
What is “true prevention”? It’s when abuse and neglect is actually stopped BEFORE it happens. Thus, it does NOT occur. The Return …
Category: Policy
Medical and/or Mental Health Cases: Parents will have due process when accused by doctors and hospitals, so CPS can no longer be used to threaten and usurp parental authority in decision-making
Many children’s hospitals now include an internal child abuse pediatrician specialist (CAPS) or even a whole CAPS team. They include a …
Restoration of Parental Rights: Parents will be given a path to safely restore their parental rights in certain circumstances
When parental rights are terminated the family that existed is forever destroyed. In Texas, this designation is FINAL with no path back …
Evidence: Raise the bar to “clear & convincing” for investigations & removal; “beyond a reasonable doubt” for termination of parental rights
Evidence standards for taking possession of a child by the state in child welfare cases in Texas (and most other states) …
System Accountability: Parents will have a real-time complaint process that addresses policy violations during their case
When a child is removed by the state, a federal time-clock starts ticking. Parents have one year to try to get …
Reasonable Efforts: All parents will be entitled to the same high level of reasonable efforts afforded under ICWA
Federal law requires states to undertake some action to prevent the removal of a child and if already removed then action to reunify …
Full Disclosure: Parents will be given a Miranda-style warning during CPS investigations and informed of the allegations in writing
The knock at the door is terrifying. Parents usually have no idea that they are being investigated by child protective services and …
Medical Records: Parents will have full access to all records and a real-time mechanism to correct inaccuracies in their child’s record
Doctors and hospitals hold all the power over parents and their children (see Medical and/or Mental Health Cases Policy). Parents often …
Legal Representation: Parents will be assigned attorneys immediately if they cannot afford one for any state involvement
It is essential that parents have quality legal representation when the state becomes involved in their lives – including court-ordered services …
Discovery: Parents will have full access to MOUs, working protocols, and evidence from MDTs related to their case
What is an “MDT” – it is a multidisciplinary team. It can consist of caseworkers, CPS investigators, special investigators, or any …