CPS SCHOOL – LESSON 2 – First Contact

Most people who are reading this post have already experienced the initial visit from Child Protective Services however, it is important to read this lesson to warn friends and family and to avoid a second case.

Did you know that you do NOT HAVE TO ANSWER THE DOOR when social services pays you a visit? Well, its true, you do not have to answer the door, even if they bring the police. If they had reasonable cause to remove your child, they would not be knocking. An anonymous phone call does not qualify for reasonable cause. Now, if they came to the door and heard you beating your child or if it appeared that your child was left alone in the home, they would enter without a warrant and claim that injury was imminent. That rarely happens that I know of but be aware, the police and social workers can be ruthless and they get away with saying whatever the hell they want. 

So, if you hear a knock on the door, always look out the peep hole if you have one or go to another room with a window with visible access to the vehicle(s) that your visitor is driving. If you see that it is a county car simply do not answer it. They will go away. They may return a day or so later but by this time you are prepared. Hopefully you have a screen or security door in addition to the regular door and if you want you can speak to them through the door. Never let them in, even if you feel you have nothing to hide. They will use whatever you say against you by twisting your words and speaking to the children alone is always manipulated. 

Prepare for their return! Remove all toys and bikes from the front of your house and away from both sides of your yard (in case they look over the fence). If you do not have a locking screen or security door, GO GET ONE AND INSTALL IT IMMEDIATELY! If at all possible, install security cameras aiming at the front door and at the street where there is parking so you will be alerted when they come back. If they left a business card the first time, call the number on it the next day after you have prepared your response to their visit. I highly recommend that you simply deny you are the person they are looking for. Tell them that they must have the wrong house. Tell them you do not have any children. If they ask your name, make one up. You could go so far as to draft a Rental Agreement with a different name and show it to them when they come back if it appears that they do not believe you. It is THAT EASY TO GET RID OF THEM! I know this for a fact because it worked for me! Adult Protective Services came to my door for my father (the ex-wife is up to her old tricks again!) and I did not answer it the first time. I thought about how to handle it and when they came back, I answered the door (I have a security door that you can’t see through from the outside so she didn’t even see what I looked like). She asked for Mr. or Mrs. (my father’s last name). I told her she must have the wrong house. She asked me if I had recently moved in and I told her that I was just a housekeeper. She said okay and left in her little white county car! I have not seen or heard from them since!

If your children attend public or private school, immediately after their first visit, you need to call the school and make sure that you do not authorize anyone from social services or the police to question your child without your consent or the child’s attorney present. Do not go to the school at that time, call an attorney and get legal advice and let him know that you gave the school their number. That same day or the next day at the very latest, prepare a NON-AUTHORIZATION and provide copies to the school.  [Links: Word document: Non-Authorization PDF: Non-Authorization

Never ever trust a social worker, no matter how “nice” they seem to be, I guarantee you that even the nicest social workers ARE OUT TO GET YOU! If they were truly nice they would not be a social worker, how can anyone nice ever remove unabused children from their parents? TRUST ME ON THIS!

*CORRECTION*

In my post, More Answers to Recent Searches, I had assumed (you know what that means, right?) that someone who searched for Susan Mahoney was looking for either Susan McPhee or Marla Mahoney. Well, I just found out that there is a Susan Mahoney who works for Riverside DPSS as a Social Worker. OOOOpS! Sorry about that and I think her email would be smahoney@riversidedpss.org or sumahoney@riversidedpss.org.