What are your rights?
Is your child your child?
Does anyone have the right to judge your life?
Does anyone have the right to tell you what is right or what is wrong?
Does anyone have the right to take your child?
Please don't call CPS!
They say we should send our kids to school,
Not home school, state school.
Even though state education is abhorant,
Designed to turn your child into a drone.
Dont think, just stop asking questions and repeat.
Please don't call CPS!
They say we should keep our house tidy and clean,
At all times.
And if you dont, they will come knocking at your door.
Not to help you cope,
Not to give you support,
But to criticise and harrass you,
To make you feel worse,
To judge you for being poor,
To berate you for having bad luck.
Please don't call CPS!
If they cared they would help,
Truly help.
If they cared they would come,
With cleaners and cooks,
And try to improve.
They are not a service,
They are a business.
Please never call CPS!
What if the money spent on CPS was used to help?
What if their time was spent assisting people who cannot cope?
What if they helped you pick the pieces up?
What if they actually cared and dared to find the truth?
Please never call CPS!
To them its just a job,
Another child, another statistic,
Another child, another removal,
Another child, to damage for life,
Please never call CPS!
How can one person decide,
On a whim,
Whether you are worthy of your birth right?
How can one person,
With no training, no skills, no empathy or love,
Be empowered to break the most important bond we have?
How was this allowed to happen?
How IS this allowed to continue?
Please never call CPS!
We must claim our rights, with all our might,
We must support each other and stand up, rise up,
We must not be scared to say NO,
We must not be intimidated,
We must be fearless and calm,
We must be strong to know that together we can prevent,
The greatest injustice a parent can endure.
Please never call CPS!
If I had a hundred soldiers,
I would march them not to war,
but to help, and to give support.
Protection means to preserve civil liberties and rights,
How dare they call themselves
Child Protection Service?
When protect is the furtherst and last thing they do.
Please never call CPS!
If you ever see a parent struggling to cope,
Never call CPS, don't even think of it,
Instead just give some help, however small.
Even a smile or a word of encouragement can change someones day.
When someone is not able to cope, that is our time to help,
Not to judge, and certainly not to call,
CPS.
Help don't judge.
Give and forgive.
We are all human,
Let's Be humane.
Who didn't have a bad day,
A bad week,
A tough life?
Who didn't need help sometimes?
Please never call CPS!
If you are ever visited by CPS please remeber the golden rules:
#1: Do NOT defend yourself!
Breathe. Be calm… and be quiet!
Don’t show your anger or anxiety and, no matter how hard it is, DO NOT DEFEND YOURSELF! The more you say, the more they know! Do NOT volunteer information for any reason. I understand the urge to be cooperative but you could just be making things worse for yourself later.
#2: Do NOT let them in the house!
It's true! Unless they have a warrant and/or there is an obvious emergency, they cannot force themselves into your home. Even if a police officer is present, they can only enter your home if you consent, if they have a warrant OR if they hear an emergency situation going on.
Do NOT consent to let CPS in your home!
If you do let them inside, you can ask them to stop or leave at any time. Unless they obtain a warrant, they are just like anyone else visiting your home. You have the right to make them leave at any time.#3: Do NOT forget to ask these important questions – and record the answers!
- Can I see your ID?
- What is the name and phone number of your supervisor?
- What are the exact allegations that have been made against me?
- Do you have a warrant to search my home or speak to my children?
#4 – Do NOT assume they have a court order – or even enough evidence to get one.
They cannot come in your home without a court order unless they witness an emergency taking place.
They cannot take your children away without a court order except in exigent circumstances, and even then a court order is required before CPS can legally remove a child from your home without your consent. Exigent means that an emergency is actively taking place and action must be taken immediately.
