I highly recommend that you:

1. Check out this post By Linda Jo Martin On February 23, 2014 · Leave a Comment
2. Visit Linda's website FightCPS to learn more about what you can do to defend your self and be that "One Small Voice" to hopefully protect yourself and Your Precious Family.

 This is by no means an easy task to do, but your efforts in
doing your homework is vital.

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Post shown below & Direct link to post>> http://fightcps.com/2014/02/23/write-the-system-tell-the-your-story-about-the-foster-care-system/ 
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Write the System! Tell the your story
about the foster care system…

When research is done to assess what does and does not work in child welfare, families whose children were placed in foster care often do not get a voice. … This is a guest post by:
Nicole Greer, academic researcher, “The Fostered Voices”.

• When was the last time someone asked you how the system was doing?
• Has anyone ever asked you if you were dealt with fairly by the system?
• Did you feel heard?
• A new study is looking at all sides of the story and needs to include your voice.

The Fostered Voices study is collecting stories about experiences in foster care, including families with children who were in care, even for a short time.

I am a third party researcher with no prior ties to the foster care system or CPS. 

The multi-sited project has two overarching research methods.

• The first one is the website collecting these stories.
• The other is an ethnographic study where I do one-on-one interviews and learn from people who have had first-hand experience with child welfare from many different perspectives.

I am especially interested in how people experience power exerted in their lives from the government or child protective services, and how parents, families, children, and workers respond to policies that did not work for them or were unfair.

One example of these policies is the timelines that dictate how long families have to convince a judge they are fit parents.

You may have shared your frustrated story on a website before, but that story probably was not included in a project designed to help your story get heard.

Young people who were in foster care, foster parents, and professionals like judges, lawyers and social workers, are already telling their stories. We need to hear about your experiences with the police, CPS workers, child advocates, lawyers, judges, foster parents, other family members, and your kids.

You can share as little or as much as you like, but the more you share, the greater the impact can be.

Your story is completely confidential. The names are changed and dates and places removed to keep you and your family protected. You can also read other people’s stories on the website under the “Stories” link.

The goal is to collect enough stories to reveal what day-to-day life means for someone interacting with the system.

If we can better understand how these policies impact everyone involved, we can write better policies that improve the processes of investigations, court proceedings, and foster care for our children.

To participate in the study, all you need to do is go to the study website: www.MyFosterCareStory.com and scroll down to the people icons.

• Click on the second icon for “Kin, Family & Friends.”
• Take a few minutes and reflect on your experiences.

We want to right the system through writing our stories, so let’s write the system! 

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May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,
GranPa Chuck

Researcher, Editor, Publisher

Update: Disclosure of Confidential Child Abuse and Neglect Records

Series: State Statutes

Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway

Year Published: 2013

 Current Through June 2013

(PDF - 651 KB)

This factsheet discusses State laws detailing the officials and entities that may have access to the confidential records of child abuse and neglect reports and investigations, the circumstances under which information may be disclosed, and the appropriate use of confidential information. Public disclosure of information in cases of child abuse-related fatalities or near fatalities also is addressed. Summaries of laws for all States and U.S. territories are included.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Confidentiality of Records
Persons or Entities Allowed Access to Records
When Public Disclosure of Records Is Allowed
Use of Records for Employment Screening
Summaries of State Laws
To access the statutes for a specific State or territory, visit the State Statutes Search. 
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Now on sale as a hardcopy:

Standing InThe Shadow of the Law

Special Edition - Expanded and   More information than Original Version By Marilyn Harrison

 Learn More>>
         http://nfpcar.org/Shadow/Hardcopy Now Available>> Purchase Now  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,

Granpa Chuck

Keeper of the web files for http://nfpcar.org

 

Know Thy Enemy-The Child Protective Sevices

Thought I would share part of a response given in the past from one of our group member. The primary issues:

1. Dealing with "X" in sharing the Responsibility of the child;
2. The Child Protective Agency is a part of this family and one of the parent's now must go to a hearing .

Does this sound familiar??
For those going before the agency, I would highly recommend:

• You organize all information relating to your concerns.

• Carefully listen to the question(s) and do not offer more than is asked.
• Basic Elements of your Defense include:>>Proof (Related blog discussions)
  >>State Statutes relating to your concerns (go to: State Statute Summary Index)
  >>Appellate Court Decisions (Go to: Justia.com and "Search" on "Key Words" relating to your concerns)
• Finally: Here is a "Basic Example of a Great Defense" 

The following may seem negative.. But it is vital to "know thy enemy" sorta speak.

• No matter who may care for the child, the agency will try to make the parent(s), foster care giver, etc, the worst Parent in the World. In your defense, you need to come back with proof, and get "on the Record" No, I was doing the most for the proper care and protection of the child.
• The agency will bring up your past (And yes, even unfounded) Your defense is to say, this is where I am today and Today I am perfectly capable of the proper care and protection of the child.
• The agency works on the philosophy, confirmed to me by 2 higher ups in the past: "To err in favor of the child".. ie "Best Interest of the child"
• Based on "Preponderance of Evidence" all either side needs is 51% proof. Beware of the tactic the agency may use.. ie
  
  "Did this happen more than 50% of the time; OR
                                   less than 50% of the time??"
  
  (I've given this before but this is well worth reviewing>> Definition of Preponderance of Evidence>> http://nfpcar.org/Legal/legalprint.htm#Preponderance_of_evidence )
  Please note, this alone, for example, is more than likely why children are so easily removed. However, for TPR to occur, evidence/proof must be "Clear and Convincing".. A reason why TPR, in many cases, takes a long time to occur.
• One question that may come up is "Why didn't you do more for the Protection of the Child??" May sound ridiculous, but I've seen this happen many times.

I do wish and pray for the best of outcomes.. But the best defense is a great offense.. and part of this is being organized before going up against the agency, Goliath.
Here are a few more article, you may want to read?

The DO's and DON'T's WHENFalsely Accused

The Little Known "DIRTY TRICKS" of DCFS/CPS/DSS

Abuse in the Name of the Foster Child

Standing in the Shadow of the Law -A basic guide for All

Now Available Learn More>> Download Flyer

Also, Check Out our Other eReferences

Again, thanks for sharing.. And thanks for others sharing, it is most appreciated since, in my humble opinion: 

the only "Experts"

are those parents, care givers, etc. that

truly protect and care for our children.

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To Contents of this Publication>>>>>>>>

 Learn More>> Click Here
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May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,

 GranPa Chuck

  "We the "Little" People"

    Defend Yourself http://nfpcar.org/Jurisdictionary/

  My Family Reform Blog
  My Family Rights Affiliation

Can we Tape or Record??

Prior to the electronic age and wide use of the internet, the major legally accepted documentation was a written hard copy of information. Today, this has changed. Whether email, texting, recording, or even information from your favorite Social Discussion Site.

If you are using emails or text as documentation, make sure you include the "header" information... ie "To", "From", "Date", "Time"..etc.

For recording or taping, here are two sites that one may want to explore:

• United States Telephone Recording Laws 

• A Practical Guide to Taping 

  Remember, when defending yourself, every piece of factual information, may support your case. However, this same information could be used against you. So do be very careful when you are on the "web".

  • Related Power Point Presentation: FPLS-Documentation 1 B.ppt

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  May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,

   GranPa Chuck

    "We the "Little" People"

      Defend Yourself>>

    My Family Reform Blog
    My Family Rights Affiliation