Had Problems with Child Protective Services...Their Attitude Maybe Why!
78Check THIS Page Out
There use to be a link posted on this page, which took you to a "caseworker view on their typical day" working with suffering children, but she has deleted her page. Hmmm, did to many people find the oppinion below to be more than true??
Want PROOF?? See the video and links below...
Hard to Sympathise With
I recently read the link above, which depicted a social workers view on her "typical day" (her words, not mine) working with battered, neglected, and sexually abused children. After reading the page of someone who freely stated their views on a position that so many are frustrated and have problems with, I completely understood those who have to deal with these "social workers" on false claims or are trying have a child in an abusive situation removed. Although her words were different from the page below, the attitude shinned through.
I replied by saying; I’m curious to know what the education requirements for your position are. (I never received a response)
It doesn't even require an associate’s degree does it? A four to six week training class? A certificate program and state of national test? An hour video ordered from a magazine clipping? (With no answer of her own) I researched the question. The fact is there are no education requirements for the position. In the state of Texas there are 300 + workers who currently hold a position with child protective services that have a felony record. The records consist of some of the same felony acts in which parents were charged that ultimately caused their children to be taken away by CPS. I am not saying that the parents who have had their children taken away, due to "battery of a family member", or "indecent exposure in the presents of a minor" are at all justified, but that those who hold a position to protect these kids should be thoroughly investigated before they are hired.
I continued with; I think I speak for most when I say “it is extremely hard, even impossible to sympathies with or for you”. You have to understand that what is seen, heard, reported, and investigates upon doesn't show that your batting the highest average in progress and good doings. In fact child abuse and deaths are on the rise. I speaking of Child Protective Services as whole, I obviously don’t know you personal.
Although I believe your statement that “SOME” people may enter into this field for “the cause”, I also believe they are quickly overwhelmed, guided or influenced by certain requirements and regulations that quickly dissolve "their cause" into just another job and its reoccurring paperwork. The goal of change or making a difference quickly becomes a “typical” day. Each week or day may bring a new child, but the incidents (abuse) which are occuring for caseworker to be called, are no longer shocking to them. There are some who enter into this field as means of taking a job. A "typical" job to put food on the table. And why not it seems they higher basically anyone with a high school diploma or GED. They even higher felons, which is an adverse consideration from most other places of employment offering heath insurance and benefits.
The way you come off in your hub, will not bring you anymore understanding or sympathy then you already have. To be the person that sees’s the tragic lives of abused children first hand, I would have thought to have read more compassion for the situation and much less whining. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but most of us work long hours, have deadlines and massive paperwork. Although those who hold these jobs may be applying their skills to important industries or companies, they are not holding the young lives of our future in their decisions or hands. You can see the difference, Can't You?
Interpretation of a Caseworkers Day
So you wake up Monday morning and look at your e-mail like most of us. Owe great, another crack baby by a mom who has already had five others “typical” (not sad), but typical.
8:00 You get pist that people have already started calling you. I’m sure you entered their lives (taking them over) several months ago and since then, they've called and called, getting only your voicemail every time. You put them on the bottom of your “to do list” and call them back in a week or two. Although, you promised you would have the ex-husband drug tested last week and housing for a single mother before last Wednesday. They can wait right... you’re the one in control.
8:30 At the hospital, the annoying nurses bother you and wasting your time by trying to find out more information on the patient's they have been caring for, for the past ten hours. Quickly bypassing them, you knock on the door to go in and deal with the junkie mom who’s probably going through withdrawals.
Not thrilled, having another case and it’s only Monday, I’m sure it showed when you walked in the room.
Quickly names are exchanged, a seat is taken and the paper work begins. As the paper work is filled out, the mom start talk, but all you hear is excuses, excuses, excuse, blablabla, "whatever freaken crack head". When some of the paper work is filled out, the next course of action is not explained. I mean, "she’s has already gone through this five times before", why waist your breath, she can figure it out. The only directions you give about taking her child is that she "should be in court this afternoon", even though it's only been 10 hours since she has given birth via c-section.
9:30 Leaving the hospital, slight emotion is felt for the junkie and her crack baby, but brushed off quickly.
Time is then wasted by complying with a call from a bitter wife who likes to play games of "lets accuse the ex husband". Although the ex-wife's past several allegations have all proved to be untrue, you show up at the house to harass a father that is doing a good job anyway. The attitude must be negative, investigative and authority like, although most people would have acknowledge that it’s the ex-wife's bitter doing. When it’s implied that he takes affiances to the continued harassment, your attitude doesn't change to offer any assurance that he is doing a good job. The daughter is 4 and begging to understand more, but who cares, the game with the mother has to be played. You choose to continue this sheared instead of turning the evidence over to police and having them handle the false reports and harassment against the husband. When it’s time to leave, he says he is going to call his attorney, who has been forming a case that finally has a substantial amount of evidence indicating his ex-wife's games and your continues compliance that enables her behavior. If he is persistent, this was the right thing to say, because a supervisor will likely have the harassment stop in order appease those above and prevent further complaints.
10:00-12:00 Paperwork, again many of us have these types of jobs.
12:00 A public school calls and files a false report pertaining to a 16yr old boy whose mother has given him a black eye. Upon arrival it is clear the boy is acting like a typical teenager, mad because his mom didn't give him what he wanted, this was very clear to you. When he doesn't get what he wants from you, he responds the way he did with mother except with verbal abuse instead of physical. Instead of taking the queue to leave, accepting the whole ordeal was bull sh**, you decide to push the issue further and ask more question of a kid that is obviously just mad at his mother and starting to become a smart ass. "Have you been sexually abused?" He says something that mocks you, hoping you'll get out of his face, so he can go back to 3rd period and continue his job as the class clown. When you don't end the "investigation" he responds to your question by says something smart and laughing " Ya my mom touches me", mocking your job. The remark pisses you off and you now decide to end the interview. If what was said was really a cause for concern, more questions would have been asked.
1:00 To “show him” for offending you, you decide to push the issue further, wasting more time (This seems to be an issue with many case workers). The time you put into this “new case”, is probably pushing that complaint back on your “to do list” of the two year old who is being used as an ashtray.
1:30 All of the appointments are cancelled for the next day, that poor two year old, because you have to do paper on that crack baby from this morning, who is not being released from the hospital for several weeks and the new sexual abuse case you just picked up.
At court, the junkie mom, "you now claim is also a prostitute" doesn't show up. Of course the judge ordered removal. At that moment all you think is "Thank God he’s still in the hospital or I would have to bring him into my house and deal with that till a foster family is found". A small spark of emotion....** looks like it’s coming out**, nope, it’s brushed off, because it’s time to go create some problems and up root an already struggling family unit by accusing a mother of the obvious false allegations of sexual abuse started earlier today. The boy admitted he physically abuses his mother, so maybe this bull sh** visit will give her the nervous breakdown she needs to get away from her son and now CPS.
2:15 At the boy’s house, introductions are made. The mother is irate because her 16 year old (6ft 3in, 180 pd Hispanic son “now that’s an imagination”) lied “again” and convinced her that you gave him permission to live with his girlfriend. She continues and slams the door in your face because her son called and claimed that you are there to remove him and place in the custody of girlfriends mother. The mother is under the impression that you have just created a situation that could lead to teen pregnancy and other issues that she is morally against. Through the door you gain her trust, telling her it was lie. She calms down and lets you in. You make yourself at home and start asking the stressed out worried mom uncomfortable question, making her feel inferior in her own home. She cooperates answering all of your questions, finally able to speak to someone, she explains about her abusive out of control son. Gaining her trust you give her information on programs that can help her son and start rebuilding her family. As soon as you give her hope, a resolution, you add, by the way you’re being accused of sexually abusing your son. Surprised she become irate, you leave without even thinking twice of how you just collapsed anything left in this mother. You left there thinking of yourself and how glad you are that she didn't hurt you or sick her dog on you.
3:30 Pick up paperwork on an 11yr old girl that is thought to be pregnant by her principal and you think of your 11yr old son…. WHAT? WHY? Is he pregnant to?
4:00 Phone call
4:30 Take home paperwork
5:00 Watch kids play
Eat dinner
Spend time with kids off and on
Thinking about yourself (AGAIN)……….. You quickly run through those you encountered today:
- The woman who is so addicted and consumed by drugs, that she sells her body to support the addiction. Incapable of being a mother or much else than slave to a substance.
- The man who is doing a good job as single father, as he endures the attacks of his mentally unstable wife supported by CPS.
- The mother who is being physical abused by her son and only a few hours ago was accused of sexual assault by a women she thought was going to help her out of control son’s
And you want to know if all these people ever considered you to be a mother and wife, even a human. WHO CARES! Your day just brought a bunch of stress and unnecessary problems to 2 out of the 3 people admittingly.
Here’s the thing, I have never been directly involved with CPS. My kids have never been taken nor have I been threatened of this. My response is not out of bitterness from my own life experiences. My contempt arouse after the whining expressed by this CPS worker ended with "did they ever think about me". Someone who openly admitted to continuing a bull sh*t pursuit after the fact. The sad statistic they are fully aware of, and the overwhelming amount of lawsuit that resulted in "we messed up hear you go" settlements. The hundreds, upon hundreds of testimonies on how CPS has ripped things apart, used their position to manipulate people and situation, fudged documents, and made life ending decisions. It’s the 1000 + children a year that die in foster care in which CPS were suppose to evaluate and deemed safe. Many children removed, instead of being placed into a safer environment, were left to endure more suffering and live out a death sentence. It’s because of the 1000 + children that are considered missing only to have their files closed out and stored away.
Hundreds of Regular Families Ripped Apart By CPS
- When Help is NO Help. (Fellow Hubber)
This got a little wordier than I would have liked but please. Read it through to the end. It will give you cause to think. that prompted me to write this. The article I read was about homeless and... - CPS Review | Rip-off Report
CPS They Took my 1 month old son! With No Proof of anything wrong! The detective Wont Investigate! Hazleton Pennsylvania
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you said it - totally true stuff here - I like you - your views corrospond with mine and you also write well :) keep it up and thanks for bringing this to light :)
Hello,
Good hub. Someone really needs to be watching over child protective services. Someone needs to oversee what they are doing. I have had them in my life for most of my childhood in verious ways. Mostly it was my mom's boyfriend. When he and my mom would have a fight, he would get drunk and call child services. And the reports was about stupid stuff like telling them me and my mom were taking showers together and stuff like that. I understand checking it out, but after the 6th and 7th time, they knew he was calling just to cause trouble but came out to ask questions anyway. And when I was 13 that took me and my brother out of our home on the stupidist report I have ever heard. A day before child services came, I had a new friend over from school. I asked him to leave when he tried to start a house fire in the kitchen with a lighter he had with him. I didn't know he liked fire when I met him. Anyway, he got angry and the next door told the school therapist that me and my brother (I was 13 and my brother was 10 at the time) was grabbing 40 year old men and dragging them up to our 3rd floor apartment and tying the man to our dad's bed and doing sex acts on him. First of all, how the hell can a 13 and 10 year old take a 40 year old man anywhere? And how could we do this without one witness. Or how about the guy calling for help? And to boot, our apartment was right above the managers apartment, wouldn't he have seen something? And then, at some point we let this person go, why didn't that person call the police, file a report....something. Anyway so the school therapist called child services. They came a few hours after we got home from school. At the time, I got home a half hour before my brother (latch key kid) and I would take care of my brother till my dad got home. So of course child services was asking why we were home alone. They complained that there were clothing on the love seat. Had they bothered to ask, they would have been told that the clothing was clean and was waiting to be folded and put away. And there wasn't much food in the house, but there was enough till my dad went shopping again in a few days. We were not starving. So over the things they saw, the decided to pull us. Their plan was to take us to a foster home for the night. I wouldn't let us be seperated. Hell no. When the officer wasn't looking, I grabbed the protable phone and went into the bathroom and dialed our grandparents who lived a few blocks away and told them what was going on. I had to sneed the phone as I was told we couldn't call ANYONE. The worker wouldn't let us get anything. They told us to put on our shoes and stuff and were going to take us with only the clothing on our backs. I tried to stall all I could to give my grandparents time. They were there in just 5 minutes. Thankfully, with some fast talking, and a bit of us crying, we got the worker to place us with our grandparents for now. So we went to our grandparents house, with just the clothing on our backs. The worker gave our grandparents a few hundred dollars in food stamps and that was that. That following day, I went to school and that's when I found out the school therapist called the child services. I was highly upset. She came over and started putting some M&M's on my desk. That made me more angry. At the time I was going to a special education school, one I really didn't belong at. They would give the kids M&M's just for doing their school work. It always made me feel like I was in preschool or something. And it just made me very angry. That and the stupid point system. But anyway, I finally had enough and told her to go ***** herself. I was angry, the woman nearly got me and my brother put in foster care over a kid's made up story because I wouldn't let him set a fire in my house and made him go home. I left the classroom and went to the soccer field to cool off. But in special education school, if your not in class, they call the "time out room team". A group of 2-3 staff go looking for you and drag you, and I do mean drag, to the time out room. A room the size of a broom closet and your locked in for 30-45 minutes on average. Although another school would lock you in for 2-4 hours. So over the month we were with our grandparents, we spent several days at court. At the end of the month stay with our grandparents, we were finally able to go back home. The therapist was fired for not even checking into the story and she lost her licence to practice and I was sent to a different school. I didn't see child services again till my mom tried to get rid of me using them. I was 16 at this time. Staff and students at school were attacking me. One staff actually took off his belt and hit me 3 times with it. A bully was attacking me, but the school had a "if I didn't see it, it didn't happen" policy on hitting. So often time, the teacher would only see me defending myself. One kid, gave himself a blood nose and locked himself in the time out room across the hall from where I was sitting. He began screaming to be let out. I just ignored him through all of this and continued grading the papers the teacher gave me to do. About 10 minutes goes by and then a staff come downstairs to see what was going on. He saw me grading papers and then let the kid out of the time out room as there is no handle inside, it can only be opened from the outside. When the staff member saw the bloody nose, the kid said I did it. I was suspended for hitting him, something I didn't do. So my mom decided to have me admitted to the same hospital she sent me to when I was 10. When I wouldn't say I was suicidal, my mom tried to get me put in a group home. She was sitting on the bench telling me how much fun it will be to be in a group home and how good it will be for me. When I didn't fit the requirements for that, she took me to child services and told them I was beating her and my brother and that she feared for her life. I never once touched her, and it was me who was afraid of her. But because she told them I was hitting her, I couldn't be placed in a group home. If they took me, they said I would be placed in a juvinile detention center till I was 21. Again for something I DIDN't do. Everything was signed except for one form, the child support. She would have to pay the state $600.00 a month. Now all the sudden I wasn't hitting her. I was let to go home, but the worker told me that if my mom called her about anything, that the worker would send the police to arrest me and take me to the detention center. At school, I let the bullies beat me, let staff abuse me just so there would be no reports from school. The second I got home, I went to my bed and went to sleep so my mom would have no reason to call the worker. I lived like that for a little over a month till the case was closed. The whole thing is, child services was there when there wasn't a problem. Where the hell where they when I had staff beating me, where were they when the staff member gave me my spinal injury? When I needed help, prayed for someone to come and protect me, they were no where to be found. They are only around when they are not needed.
-Stanley
you can join the United_Family_Rights_Association_Nationwide we are a thousand families strong with family rights advocates across the country and seeking to train more parent's that become victims of CPS to help families in their region. You can contact me via United_Family_Rights_Association@live.com. We also have Yahoo groups for support.
Such an awesome hub!
Thanks :)
I am currently a CPS caseworker and I enjoyed your Hub, however you are incorrect about some things. Caseworkers are required to have at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college. Furthermore, many of the caseworkers, like myself, were straight out of undergrad going straight into our advanced degrees, that the agency finances.In order to become employed at CPS, you can not have a criminal back ground AT ALL! They are skeptical about hiring candidates for having two or more speeding tickets. Its not as easy as you would think to be hired as a CPS caseworker. The only way a person with a criminal or CPS history would be able to achieve employment is if they are great scam artists! They hire investigators to check the backgrounds of each candidate before they are allowed to have any direct contact with the children.
When I first began my career as a CPS caseworker, I recently graduated from college two months prior. Although my major was relative to the field of casework, it was not a career that I originally envisioned myself taking, nor did I understand the parameters of what the job entailed. I was not aware that there was this ongoing stigma towards caseworkers and the agency. I truly got into this field of work in order to work in the communities and help children.
The training for workers, in addition to a college degree, is actually several months long. For youngsters just getting out of college, the work of a caseworker can be quite intimidating. I was shocked out of my mind when they began training us. I asked myself, "So...they want me to visit with the child...and the parent." The question was relevant because some parents were living in crack houses. So, here I was this person who was in school having fun a couple of months before, and then I was being thrown into this different lifestyle, an environment that I had never experienced. I was not aware that there were so many people on drugs. I was not aware that there were so many relatives molesting their own children. When I say I was shocked, I had to reevaluate my career choice at first.
However, the challenge of getting things done and those few happy endings kept me optimistic and passionate. Now your diagram of a typical day in the life of caseworkers is accurate, but you are absolutely wrong about the negativity and calling the parents "Crack heads". You make caseworkers seem like we are some angry pack of women who are just unjustly snatching children from their parents because "We want to". But your generalization is totally one sided. We have people who do use CPS as an intervention during custody battles and many other family drama, but you should also understand that although parents are being manipulative and dramatic, there have been instances where sexual abuse and physical abuse have occurred. Going on my fourth year as a worker, I can honestly say that I have experienced all kinds of cases that would probably make any person shutter. My sister refuses to talk to me about my day because she doesn't want to here my "depressing stories" as she would call them.
I have never complained about the work of a CPS caseworker because that is what I signed up for. However, its easy for lay persons who are not experiencing the constant battle between the courts and the family's to only recognize one side of this issue.
Were you aware that attorneys and child advocates have made recommendations to have children removed from their families for minor infractions? This occurs quite frequently. I've experienced cases where I returned a child home only to have an attorney tell the judge that he didn't like the neighborhood in which the family lived. Yes, the family was poor, but poor isn't abuse.
When I read your Hub, I just smiled and had flash backs of the different situations that I confronted during my ongoing career and despite the nights of waiting at a psychiatric hospital with a child who locked me out my car a few hours earlier, I can only say that it takes a special person to remain in this field without experiencing some bitterness. It takes a special person to remain in this field after being inside a person's home when thugs were kicking the door in. That was probably the most scariest event i have experienced. We were evaluating a family to determine whether a child should be returned, and of course after getting the door kicked in over some drugs you could conclude what the outcome consisted of. lol
There were many situations that were not safe, without any kind of weapon to defend ourselves. I have been attacked by dogs on two occasions. (I think me and my friends laugh about this like every other week) I have received death threats, a coworker was chased by a person with a shot gun until law enforcement was notified. In some instances, caseworkers are trying to keep children out of foster care so bad, but relatives refuse to take the children. We all know that foster care isn't the best living environment for some of these children, but if there are not relatives willing to accept these children, where are they going to live? In some portions of the state, the prevalence of cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and heroin abuse is astounding. There have been some parent who REFUSE treatment because they don't want to stop using. There are parents who don't show up for their court hearings because they are out on a bing. Substance abuse is the leading factor that children are removed from the home of their parents, not CPS workers. People may not like the function of CPS, but I could honestly care less what uninformed people think when I am sitting in an emergency room having an infant treated for syphilis after the father shot up some angel dust and decided to have sex with the closest female in the home. Despite what people may say, if there were no caseworkers or CPS, what will happen to our children? You may not like it or even admit it, but exactly who will speak up for the children who are being abused? Please don't reply with the relatives because most of the time, they are fully aware of whats going on, and never make an effort to remove the kids from the situation themselves. One grandparent told me that she would have taken the children from the parents if she didn't think she would get arrested. I always tell clients, if there is a way for a relative to get to the children before the agency is involved, then there is no need for our intervention.
There was on occasion when me and my entire unit went to a horrible part of town just to find this one last relative to take in a teenager. As you know, foster homes only prefer the babies and toddlers. Its often that teenagers are left to do for themselves because they are not a favorable population. I have had to fly to different states to place multiple children, by myself. I have absolutely no problem with inexperienced people having their opinions abut the job I do well, but I just wish there wasn't such a one sided view of the profession. I mean, you actually are under the impression that CPS workers are only required to have a high school diploma or GED! LOL But thats cool because I have heard that before and believe thats one of the myths that hopefully people like myself will be able to clear up. In actually, out of the five persons in my first unit, two of the workers had Master's degrees, and one had just completed her doctorate, while I was just starting on my Masters. If you ask any CPS caseworker the amount of degrees they have, most of them will answer with at least two.
Furthermore, you have done your research, you have heard the many horrible stories regarding CPS workers, but have you ever sat down and spoke with one before? Workers are not legally allowed to remove children without the consent of a judge. Caseworkers are not the only parties to an investigation. Realistically, most judges listen to the court appointed child ad litem before they consider our recommendations. CPS is only one entity involved with these cases. The judge is ultimately the person with the real power to remove children from parent's home. I've had judges order me to remove children by the
Ok……..First of all this was originally a response to a caseworkers hub who thought she would “compose” her frustration for her job into a hub. I took my response and made it into a hub, connecting the link to her hub to be read first. Since my hub has been up in response to her, she has deleted hers. What does that tell you? Did others see what I wrote to be true? I pretty much copied what she wrote and made it into a blunt rephrased compromise. Throughout her hub she bitch and complained about the carrier she choose, which frustrated me. None of it was about the sympathy she felt, none if it was about a rewarding felling, it was basic a testimonial of how much she hated her job.
As for the education, that goes by state, for my state, it an associate’s degree in human services. A basic overall education in dealing with profession that handle services, whether it be drug counseling, DSS, food stamps, whatever. So congrads to the state you live in for upping the stakes.
Also if you would do some research of your own, you would find that many DSS workers have been discovered as convicted felons. Not only did I label the person and charges of some DSS on another Hub, I have given links for people to read and explore themselves on this matter.
Although I do not have time to right an in depth response to your comment, I will say this; you are right you have to be a special person to go into this field, but for many, that quality burns out quickly and instead of realizing that and seek another profession, they continue and accumulate hate for their job and the people ( which is understood), but when it comes to a point where a child is nothing but a manila folder and the empathy for them is overpower by the disgust of the parents or the work that each case brings, then it is time to do everyone a favor and leave.
To answer one more of your questions, yes I have talked to several case works under different circumstances. Not only do I volunteer with domestic violence shelters, but I also personal know a few and as far as that goes, I still stand by my opinion, that when the spark or purpose for which that person started and wanted to take on this position is gone, it’s time to go and not prolong their position with an organization that requires that special kind of person.
I was not trying to offend you or be argumentative. But again your understanding of the POSITION of a caseworker is not correct! The position and others within the field of human services have different requirements. And I took the time to elaborate on the position because I did not want others getting the wrong and biased information! The inflammatory video you provided was not even an ounce of valid information that supported the job of that caseworker. And providing her name and actions outside of the court room was also ridiculous because you have no idea what the reasons were for removal of those parent's children. Its so easy for outsiders to make their own generalizations when they have no personal experience in working with those suffering from mental illness and substance addiction, in addition to protecting the welfare of children. Although these particular cases are not the only types of cases we encounter, they are by far the most prevalent. So, that being said, continue volunteering and posting your views about a position you have never worked in your life. There are always two sides of a story. And for the individual who is frustrated with her career challenges, she does not deserve judgmental attacks from outsiders who are outraged about the way she feels. Maybe you should be more outraged with parents who abuse and neglect their children, and those who sit around silent until CPS is involved.
If your state is Texas, your information is wrong because I am a caseworker in Texas and it is REQUIRED that you have at least a BA as a CPS Specialist!
And as for research goes, I have been in this field for awhile and believe that I understand that this system is not perfect. But, according to the law, no agency in any state are supposed to hire any individual with ANY criminal record for positions exposed to children. There have been instances where caseworkers who have been employed with the agency and are charged with crimes AFTER being hired. There was a time in TEXAS after initial employment backgrounds are cleared, there were no ongoing background checks of the employees. They now check the employee backgrounds throughout the year in response to those events occurring. But again, the system is not perfect.
And as for a caseworker that bitches and complains,you may not want to limit your anger towards CPS workers, because I have personally read blogs from people in different fields complain about the persons they serve and sometimes its an outlet for their frustrations. If I were the same caseworker you were upset about, I would have NOT erased my hub or comments because they were just that MINE! And despite any frustration and being totally burnt out, she was still doing her job. The frustration can become overwhelming. And volunteering is a great deed, but its nothing like actually working a CPS job. Any how, they DO NOT allow volunteers to work the job so your personal experience with such a career is irrelevant an nonexistent. There are plenty of days when people in the human services field are stressed out, pissed off, and contemplate not returning to work the next day. I have read blogs from teachers who are just fed up with the types of children they interact with on a daily basis. But you know what, they get up every morning to do that job, despite the frustration because they love it.
Furthermore, if you don't like children becoming a manila folder, you should contact your state representative because they are the ones requiring caseworkers to work SIXTY cases at a time. Those are not decisions that the caseworker makes. In one month, a caseworker has to visit sixty homes, while also attending court hearings, completing tons of paperwork, removing children from foster homes, placing children in other states across the country, visiting parents in their homes, scheduling and attending family visits, attending legal mediations, completing home assessments of potential relative caregivers, and these are just a few of the job descriptions of a person who you are convinced only requires an associates and a couple hours of training. lmao! In ALL of the things that I have listed here, please tell me exactly how you wouldn't have moments of frustration. And it was not as hard on me because I did not have a family when I first started. There are caseworkers who are late picking up their own children from daycare many days, to a point where the daycare is calling in referrals on them because they can't guarantee that they won't be in court late that day, or if they will have to take someone elses child(ren) to the psych hospital. I know that this is a part of the job, but you are again unaware of the stresses of such a job.And if you don't like it, have a conversation with the state government to make it better instead of complaining about some stressed out caseworker who wanted to vent her frustrations online.
Oh, it is normal for employees in the FIELD of substance abuse counseling, food stamps, and SOME positions within the social services field that only require you to have an associates. Those positions are totally different from an actual CPS Specialist. I have worked with many states throughout the US when placing children out of state, and every last one of those states require that the actual caseworker for the child have AT LEAST a BA. I am not speaking about CPS assistants, or CPS Case-aids. These are administrative positions, just like someone who works for the food stamp office. Those are not the same. There are even some state agencies who require workers to have at least a Master's degree just to place children in adoptive placements.
Again, this is information that my experience has provided. I only wish I were able to send a message to this worker to give her some kind of inspiration, and also point her in the direction to those who have support groups online where caseworkers can vent their anger and frustration without the judgment of those on the outside looking in.
People who are passionate about their jobs are also prone to become frustrated because their are so many obstacles that prevent us from reuniting families. And as I posted in my last informative post, there are also attorney adlitems, child advocates, and other intities who make most of the legal decisions for this case. Depending on the philosophies of these individuals, the cases can last for two to three years because the judge doesn't like the parent's home or their lifestyle choice. So in addition to being of the required tasks of this job, trying to reunite families is a battle in itself because so many other people are involved in each case. I give the frustrated caseworker an e-hug because we have all felt frustrated within this field, and yet we do our best to fight for the well being of the children. If you are again offended with my truth, then you have other issues you are dealing with. Because again, people love posting their ideas and feelings online. My friends who are also CPS workers are always posting online about our frustrations and it really does help when you feel no one understands. You are just not apart of the community that understands what the position entails. But I think its great others are at least trying to educate themselves on this career path, even if the information isn't accurate.
In your state of South Caroline these are the qualifications for Human Services Specialist, which is the equivalent to CPS specialists in Texas. This information is straight from your local government website!
Human Services Specialist II 4-C/P61014716
State of South Carolina Minimum Training and Experience Requirements:
(NOTE: ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS MAY BE APPLICABLE FOR INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS IN THE EMPLOYING AGENCY.)
A high school diploma and relevant program experience. A bachelor's degree may be submitted for the required program experience.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
A BACHELOR'S DEGREE. SELECTED POSITIONS MAY PREFER A MASTER'S DEGREE.
Note: If any additional requirements are listed above applicants must also meet those Additional Requirements to be considered for the position.
As far as your ridiculously LONG ranting comment, I didn’t even have time to read all of, I will reply to, eventually. But just to “prove you wrong”…..
1. Here’s the NEWS VIDEO of CPS workers in TEXAS who were and some still are working with CPS that have been charges with felonies of drug possession to indecent exposure. Funny how YOU live in this state and work around these people and SEEM TO BE CLUELESS
It was reported that at least 370 of Texas caseworkers have been convicted of felonies. To a few that have earned the acknowledgements:
Cordellia Jones – Drug possession
Richard Landon – Prostitution and Indecent Exposure
Romanus Ike – Indecent Exposure in a public park, including a prior
David Mendonza – (Supervisor) Assault with intent of bodily harm, Violating a restraining order.
Some of the case workers are abusers themselves:
Alvita Johnson, 50, A Nacogdoches, Texas CPS caseworker, was arrested for abusing three
foster children in her care. Charges against Johnson included; injury to a child
and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The children involved were ages
10, 12, and 15 at the time.
Most of the caseworkers have been employed with CPS for over a decade. Also, most were charged for their crime during their employment and are still employed by CPS today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufne42PmnJY
http://www.youtube.com/v/ufne42PmnJY?fs
http://www.hope$kidz.org/news,/forgottenChildren.html
2. AGAIN, your wrong! My state only requires an associate’s degree or certification!!!
Education Requirements for Social Workers
A certificate and associate's degree programs are available in social work, and necessary for positions as caseworkers, group home workers, mental health assistants or residential counselors. State regulators typically mandate that degree programs be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or another nationally recognized accrediting agency.
An associate's degree in social work is needed to sit for the licensing exam; this can be obtained through 2-year community colleges. Coursework would include general biology, health, life style, sociology, social issues and statistics. Some associate's degree programs for social work can be taken online.
Social Work Licensure
Every state has its own requirements regarding social work licensing and certification. These standards must be met by those who wish to acquire professional titles, such as licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Licensing requirements in most states include at least two years (associates degree) or 1,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. Transferability of credentials is also up to each prospect's local state or jurisdiction.
COPIED AND PAISTES RIGHT FROM THE SITE
And last of all this comment “Any how, ( Anyhow is one word BY THE WAY) they DO NOT allow volunteers to work the job so your personal experience with such a career is irrelevant an nonexistent”. You can voice your opinion, and bitch all you want, but do NOT call me a fucking liar!! So far the only one who has been proven to had their facts wrong is YOU! Also this “nonexistent volunteering” you refer to is required while receiving you “associates” in human services… In fact they go toward “hours” you can accumulate to take a certification test
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) advises those interested in becoming a social worker to volunteer or intern as a social worker's aide (www.bls.gov). This is required for option A……
Last, for now, but not least……..YOU AND YOUR CO-WORKERS ARE SOME OF THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT WOULD DISAGREE WITH THE OPINION THAT THIS JOB SHOULD NOT BE CONTINUED ONCE EVERY CHILD AND CASE BECOMES ANOTHER FOLDER…
For some reason you keep commenting on "outsiders" or you have never done this or that...How do you know?? You have no idea who I am, work for or have worked for. You have no idea what degrees I may have. I have released little to no personal information about myself. So if I were you I would reframe to assuming I know everything about the person I am verbilizing about. Because so far you have been right about very little. When someone decides to post a HUB, not a personal blog or jouranl, over how they "hope they don't have to take that new born crack baby home" or admit they continue to follow ridiculous allegation, neglecting cases “children” who really are in danger, of course their going to get heated responses. A big reason for the negativity is because people are tired of hearing CPS was involved and had been called out 30 times before 2yr old Katie was beaten to death. You can make what ever excuse you want, but instead of telling me to call my State rep, why don't you speak up??? You are obviously closer to the problem directly. I don't give a shit what degree it takes for this position, A higher degree just means that educated people are tolerating and are comfortable working in a system that is severely flawed. You can continue to take the time and bitch at people who call the methods and outcomes of your position and it affects harmful and damaging in many cases (not all), but many, or you can take the frustration for the reputation of your position and create a change. The summary of this conversion back and forth that upsets me most, is that you are more worried about defending a position or the system that you, yourself calls flawed, and ridiculing my opinion, than using that same energy to put back into your field of choice to help better by contributing to a solution, start, effort toward, something!! to be beneficial to create a outcome that would not have you defending your position.
Oh my, I guess I hit a sore spot for you! lmao! I guess going to your government site and actually listing the qualifications wasn't pertinent enough for you.
And actually, there is no specific license for Cps caseworkers. You are getting that mixed up with social workers. But, I did read your ridiculous response because you will continue in your ignorance.
And by the way, if you don't like the job that CPS does, go do it your damn self. Oh, my bad, you just want to volunteer. Go jump a cliff lady. you have no idea what the hell you are talking about.
All these people on here complaining about CPS being in their life, exactly why did SOMEONE call in the first place. You try and put off on workers, and yet not all these parents are innocent. so continue volunteering sweety. Hope that helps!
What are you talking about PSYCO!! You haven’t hit a sour spot in me at all…. In fact you have just proven to everyone who reads this Hub what a ridiculous, one sided and simple minded individual you are. You’re the one that took the time to write a delusional term paper on my hub page, defending a position you openly admitted was corrupt. And I think I’m the one that hit a sour spot with you, by sharing the education requirements. It’s ok though you shouldn’t be ashamed of your ONLINE degree. Some just aren’t smart enough to take the traditional method in their education and have to seek the easiest possible route.
I don’t understand why you continue to argue about the degree…. And no, I am not getting the two mixed up. What was COPIED and PASTED above are the requirements for your position in my state. Don’t like…………cry about it then, but there is no point in arguing.
And yes I do volunteer at a domestic violence shelter and a group home for teens, and this is a bad thing to you??….Exactly!! Does it bother you that someone can care and help others without compensation? But like I said before, I have not revealed shit about myself to you, you just assume to know everything about me. Hmmmm, a trait you have learned from the position?? Any-ways, I also work in the ER were I see “more” kids that are brought in for neglect and abuse from foster care (foster care families that people like you have approved) then by bio parents. I watch the workers come in “annoyed” for making the trip (not that the child was admitted into the hospital, but because they thought their day was over) and place them back into more incompetent hands. I have to see their fear and hear their cries of not wanting to leave with the workers, because the last two places the worker has placed him/her have landed them in MY care.
Why don’t I do your job?? Because I choose a career that “literally” patches up the children you have placed in incompetent hands. I also choose a career that saves lives and heals wounds, not one that takes and places lives from one danger to the next. I see all of the patients as people, not as a file. And its funny how you say I have no idea what I’m talking about when I work around people daily in your position that admit and know their position is less than desirable. Instead of demonstrating an ego, that wants to be stocked “like yours” and claiming to be a guardian angel, they recognize the problems with the system and the directions they are given to follow, admitting that they have been put in positions where the only two options are bad.
And again, I understand your slow, so I’ll say it again, I have never had an encounter with CPS personally. But the question.. why be pissed at CPS instead of the parents. Well, for one, the bad out ways the good and you continued to enforce it by caring out the orders, options, and the occupation, you acknowledge, is less than perfect, but continue to defend. So in other words, you don’t make the rules, but you enforce them. I do blame the parents, but by taking a child out of a horrible situation ( let’s say a 10) and placing them in a home that is a compromise (an 8), is that ok? The epidemic of “legal kidnapping” has become a public issue, creating the even greater negative opinion of CPS and foster care). Why have there been children taken from their bio parents for missing one day over the allowed amt. in school. Why have children been taken over a rumor of a parent smoking pot, but when proved to be false, it is impossible for them get their child back? Why is a child taken from a mother after has fled an abusive husband? All of this kayos caused on families is because CPS has become a business that profits off of children abused or not!! I mean look at how much of kick back, per child, that is received…
*Authorizes Adoption Incentive Payments for States. The Act authorizes $20 million for each of FY 1999-2003, FY 2003 – 2006, FY 2006 -2011 for payments to eligible states which exceed the average number of adoptions the state completed during FY 1995-FY 1997, or in FY 1999 and subsequent years, in which adoptions of foster children are higher than in any previous fiscal year after FY 1996. The amount of the bonus is $4,000 for each foster child adopted and $6,000 for each adoption of a child with special needs previously in foster care.
If you think that all the options you provide for these kids are satisfying and safe, then you’re lucky to believe in such low morale and standards, but the fact is most others do NOT and that’s why they will continue to bitch..So until something clicks or a miracle happens where your brains can be re-programmed to acknowledge the difference between what’s right and what’s wrong, you will never understand why people are irritated and outraged that kids are only offered the bare minimum or less..
Ow, and I will continue to volunteer on top of working, continuing my education and raising two kids...
I will continue to deal with the negative impact your decisions have made on the kids I see at the group home and mothers at the DV shelter. I will continue writting letters and present petitions.... And I will continue because, unlike you, I don't settle, nor believe in enabling the problem. And you shouldn't knock people who help others by volunteering. If the amazing people I know didn't take the time out of their already busy lives and away from their families, there would be barley any homeless or abuse shelter, group homes, or sober living. Also if we weren't there to issue our time, caring and concern, who would many of these kids turn to, you?? Ha Ha
I would like to say that I completely agree with your hub, now I have had some case workers who have been very nice but then I have also had to deal with some idiots. Three years ago CPS stepped in to my boyfriends kids lives because the school turned their mother in for things the kids had told at school. CPS told the mother that she was no longer aloud to have the kids and that she needed to find someone for them to live with. The mother did not have a job, a steady home but did get 500 a month in child support. She was doing drugs in front of the kids and they addmitted they were scared of her because she constantly told them she was going to rip their heads of and shit down their necks. So the kids came to live with their dad and myself. CPS set up a SAFTEY PLAN for the mother and told her that she needed to get drug counceling, find a stable home and keep it for at least 3 months and go to anger manangement classes. She never attempted to do any of this, but has made the attemp to file false allegations against us at least 20 times and is at this moment trying to do so again. When I talked to a worker about a year ago and asked why they continue to allow her to do this to us after she has never attempted to help herself I was informed that they just dropped the case on her for non-compliance. How do you do that, just say its ok that she is a druggie and will not take care of her kids but still allow her to take them every other weekend and they have to end up where ever she may be staying at that time. CPS was going to substantiate a case against us because one of the kids said that her brothers shoes were to small and did not even question him about it. She said me and her dad fought all the time, they didnt ask us or even quesiton what she meant. The last thing was because her sister got her butt smacked. All she was talking about when she said we fought and if they would of asked her what she was talking about she would have told them that we wrestle all the time, but no they didnt care to ask they just wanted to substatate it because I had pissed of the supervisor when I confronted her for giving out my personal information after specifically being told not to give my home phone number to the ex wife. When I questioned her about it her response was just that people make mistakes Im only human. I was so mad, I know all about my rights and I know I have the right for my info not to be given out. They have continued to harrass me and my boyfreind and now have moved on to my parents with it as well. But when I call about her threatening to kill herself and her kids when she is supposed to be spending a week with them they just blow me of and what she said. We work very hard to take care of his 3 children and also my one, but its ok for her to be worthless and had her children taken away from her, but we are the bad ones. They are not out to help they just wanna see how far they can get in a case. This girl does nothing for her children while we are both working full times jobs and stuggleing to keep up, but shes the reliable one to them so much that they wanna pull my kids outta class on several occasions and come into my home and accuse me of being a bad parent. Thats what I call rude and dont know what they hell you are doing..Just wanted to give my opinion. Thanks!!
WOW... I just read all of the above and I don't know what to say. I am a grandmother of a grandson that was taken from my daughter for child abuse. That was a year ago Dec 15th. The abuse on the child is being finger pointed at both, my daughter and her current boyfriend, which both said they didn't do it. So the child was removed from their care (child was 2 at the time)and now, a year later, she just had another baby (6weeks ago) and he too, was taken from her 2 days after birth because of an open case with the first child. (current B.F. is NOT the father of the first child that was taken). To this date/day...NOTHING has been done. NO court dates for the abuse of the child, NO investigations/questions against either my daughter or her b.f., (as they are the ones that is being accused of the abuse). My daughter and I went to the DA's Office, the Police Station AND the Investigators Office to find out where this whole thing/case is at and what is being done or gonna be done about it and ALL 3 places had NO report in their computers on it. Soooo, just what does that mean? Nothing has been done, no investigation, no questioning the ppl that is being accused of doing it, no reports to look at or fall back on, kids are still in foster care, daughter has done EVERYTHING the courts have asked her to do (domestic violence classes, therapy, parenting classes, and whatever else she was told to do, she did and has completed em' all, but is being refused to have her children back in her care.
I came online to look up info on the social worker or whatever she is, but only found whatever it was that was canceled back on 3/31/1995. Nothing current on her, so does she have a degree or credentials to be what she is? She (the Social Worker) is a total BITCH and my daughter and I have been told a lot of BAD things about her. One of the things we were told was...that she keeps the kids in the system as long as possible and tries to get them adopted out instead of being given back to the parent(s). Do these workers get paid more for having the kids in court custody? Do they get paid more if they can get the kids adopted out? Is that why she is trying to keep the kids from my daughter, because she gets more money for doing so? I'm not saying they are ALL bad, but this one is and my daughter and I feel that she is holding these two kids for no reason. We were told if there isn't anything pending in the abuse case against them, then there won't be, which we were then told, the kids should have been given back to the parents. So, what I am writing about is...what is it that we can do to find out more on this women on getting the 2 children back home? Not sure if anybody knows of anything. But, any info you have will help. I can write a book about this case worker/social worker so this is just a short version and I am trying to seek any answers I can get or find. I'm just not sure where to go or where to look without hiring a lawyer which I can't afford to do and neither can my daughter. Hope someone can help me.
Unfortunately it is very hard to find out the specifics in regards to their educational background as well as any personal information. It is kept quiet and confidential to the extent of minor phonebook information... Why, because there have been others who have sought out in investigating the competence of their caseworker only to find non-complete education requirements, history of a criminal background, and even residential information that has lead to harassment.
Personally, I would make myself known. I would make sure everyone in that office knew my name, my child’s name, and my grandchildren’s names. I would call and go in daily; I would write letters to supervisors, while keeping documents of it all. They will eventually get tiered of you and seek to resolve the issue. The documenting should be done for the purpose of providing it to a lawyer, if this is ever possible. Also from what I understand, your daughter should be eligible for pro-bono legal services. These services are only offered to defendants in regards to these cases and not plaintiffs (referring to the persons who may have obtained custody). In regards to your situation and the lack of documentation CPS has neglected to keep or present on the case, seeking charitable legal representation would benefit you greatly.
cps and social work dont care about kids all they are interested in is there wages even if the kids suffer so they get payed all they do is lie to get our kids
There is no right to a jury trial is the main problem with the system; simple as that; the system of determining whether a child(ren) should be removed from a home should be determine by a jury. This is an essential right that is not honored by states; and eventually, say within a decade or so, will be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court just as the tender age doctrine was.
I really like your hub. There are so many true points in it. I am currently dealing with cps they have temporarily removed my children and placed them with their fathers. My exs have called cps on me and my bf since December and all allegations have be proved to be untrue. This time cps said it would be safer for my children to be removed all because my baby that is 1 year old now had a bruise. He's trying to walk, all kids get bruises. I think it's sad how cps interferes in people's lives they don't need to. They should be doing their job right.
Hello queen, I completely agree with you. Frankie is completely biased and is ignorant to the facts that you consistently brought to her attention. I can not begin to imagine the daily struggles that you face. My family has had past physical and verbal abuse and thanks to CPS, me and my siblings were taken out of the situation. I one day also hope to become a CPS worker. I have always been under the impression that CPS workers were looked down upon, but didnt realize it was to this extent until today. I just wanted to point out that there are people out here that appreciate what you guys do.
rdcast Level 2 Commenter 2 years ago
Okay, so who do we string up??? I need results, not more reason to hate. Give me something to do and it will get done
Your selection of videos are high on shock value, causing me to think twice before viewing. I suppose that's bad?