I recently came across a post concerning #familyprotection and I was glad that such an initiative was taking place to create awareness. Truly, the Child Protection Service (CPS) in the United States is really tearing homes apart and it needs to be addressed. We all need to speak up; Only then can there be a change.
I am not a citizen of the United States, but US being the free world, almost everyone from every part of the world has a friend or family member residing there.
The story I narrate to you is a true life experience of my aunt and her family and how they lost a child to Child Protection Service in New York.
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My aunt relocated to the United States some years ago. She was a very bright girl in her early days and consequently she was awarded a scholarship to study abroad. She later got citizenship over there and remained there permanently. She got married there too and soon after they had a beautiful daughter.
My aunt had been away for close to fifteen years and none of us had set eyes on her since she left. We only got to see pictures of her and her family on facebook and talk to her via skype. My grandma was anxious to see her daughter again. My aunt who was also eager to reunite with her mother worked out a travel visa for her mother.
It was nice reuniting with her daughter, her son-in-law and her grand-daughter. Things were going fine until...
The Incident
That faithful saturday morning, aunt's husband went to work. He had two jobs. He had to work more because things weren't so easy for them; They had alot of bills to pay. Aunt went to pick up somethings from the groceries store. Naturally, she would have taken her kid in the front seat of her vehicle but she decided leave Harley with grandma, you know, allow them get along; She didn't plan to stay long.
Grandma and Harley were at home together alone. They weren't quite best of friends yet but there were pretty familiar with themselves. Grandma went into the kitchen to prepare a meal and left her grand-daughter to play in the living room.
10 years old, Harley was quite a vibrant playful young girl.
Grandma came into the living room and was shocked to see her little grand-daughter jumping from one sofa to the other. She immediately exclaimed "Stop that!!!"
Child Protection regulations aren't as strict here in Africa as they are in the Western World. Scolding isn't much of a big deal here. Infact, flogging or beating up you child here in Africa is pretty normal (not saying its right though). Grandma spent her entire life in Nigeria where her way of disciplining children was through scolding and flogging (including her very own daughter whom she came to visit in the States).
Although aunt took her time to explain to her mother how things are in the United States, and why she couldn't shout or scold her kid, grandma had forgotten her lessons for those few minutes. She scolded little Harley for playing roughly (for fear that she might hurt herself).
But of course, Harley was a little girl with a fragile heart and emotions. She resulted to crying.
Few minutes, the police were outside; Someone had heard the little girl cry, and tipped them. They questioned Harley on what had happened and the innocuous little girl told them what had happened. But they never really saw the real picture and the fact that grandma did it out of love and concern for her little baby.
My Aunt came back that faithful evening to meet a police case with her baby in custody and charges for neglecting the child.
....
Now a visit that was supposed to be in the spirit of felicitation had turned in a completely different way. An innocent mother who left her kid with her mother to get some groceries was now facing charges for emotional abuse (on the part of her mother) and neglect.
Her Husband blamed her for everything because she brought her mother to their house and left Harley with her; But really all she wanted was for both of them to get along.
Is this really a case of Neglect?
Child Protection Service shouldn't be a body that just picks up children from their parent the slightest chance they get. Families are being torn everyday because of minor issues which do not, in anyway signify neglect; Most of these parents actually love their kids to the fullest and would do anything for them.
