Stop Looking Under My Skirt is a website dedicated to providing information about legislation, policy and other pertinent information to those in need of help regarding potential or real involvement in their lives by Child Protection Services (CPS). The terminology for this agency may differ depending on the state that you reside in but is used to refer to the state's agency responsible for taking reports, investigating and providing ongoing services on child abuse and neglect cases. The information is in no way intended to serve as legal advise and all postings should be considered carefully before taking action. There are several professional and personal reasons that I have decided to develop this blog site. One is for individuals who are currently involved in an active investigation, who have lost custody of their children or for other interested parties who need information or education on the topic. For those of you who are already aware of the troubled realities of being investigated for child abuse or neglect and even for those who are under the assumption that the CPS system works as is, this site is intended to be a source of support, a source of education and a source for which each person can take something away that may one day help them or a loved one.
Before I begin sharing information, I think it only fair to share a bit about myself. I have been working in the field of child protection for over 6 years and have been privvy to not only the inner workings of the system, but the politics, worker's thoughts on child protection and even the other side of the story (a.k.a. the parent's side). When one is consistently told the same information over and over by a parent that is contrary to the findings in the investigation, the question arises, "can it be true?" I have found that more often than not, the parents are telling the truth. Even in the face of evidence supporting their story, injustices continue within the investigative process itself and even within the courts to which we depend on to exact justice. I am not some jaded worker or some vindictive parent bucking the system; I am an educator by degree, a parent by design and an individual who believes that we all have rights to be treated fairly and with dignity.
I would like to end this introduction with a few final thoughts. While there are people guilty of true cruelty to children, the disturbing reality that I have come to know is that many are not. The consequences of being found guilty (substantiated) of child abuse or neglect can be dire and most parents being investigated do not realize the gravity of the situation. In this blog, I hope to impart some wisdom on parental rights according to law/policy, the rights you don't have and the truth; the poor are being attacked by the system that was created to help families and to protect children. Unfortunately, through personal accounts given to me by those I work with and beside, I now realize that the system is broken. I also want to share that while I would like to put my faith in the juvenile/family court justice system to resolve issues in a manner that is consistent with protecting one's rights, with a great deal of sadness I will share the stories of families where the court system has only contributed to the difficulties that families have. With the power to make custody and other decisions in a child protection services case, the court is a large portion of the system-wide illness that I now know to exist. It is not only failing in a duty to come to just decisions but is basing those poorly informed judgements on a proponderence of evidence. I will discuss this and many other definitions and concepts in a series of blogs to help blog readers understand the full extent of the problem.
It is my sincere hope that I can maintain some semblance of objectivity and that this blog might find its way to those that need this information. It is also my hope that some of the information might be used to help parents (or merely a person interested) find a needed resource or use the information to understand and perhaps take action against the deficiencies in the current system.
Please check back weekly for updates.
Before I begin sharing information, I think it only fair to share a bit about myself. I have been working in the field of child protection for over 6 years and have been privvy to not only the inner workings of the system, but the politics, worker's thoughts on child protection and even the other side of the story (a.k.a. the parent's side). When one is consistently told the same information over and over by a parent that is contrary to the findings in the investigation, the question arises, "can it be true?" I have found that more often than not, the parents are telling the truth. Even in the face of evidence supporting their story, injustices continue within the investigative process itself and even within the courts to which we depend on to exact justice. I am not some jaded worker or some vindictive parent bucking the system; I am an educator by degree, a parent by design and an individual who believes that we all have rights to be treated fairly and with dignity.
I would like to end this introduction with a few final thoughts. While there are people guilty of true cruelty to children, the disturbing reality that I have come to know is that many are not. The consequences of being found guilty (substantiated) of child abuse or neglect can be dire and most parents being investigated do not realize the gravity of the situation. In this blog, I hope to impart some wisdom on parental rights according to law/policy, the rights you don't have and the truth; the poor are being attacked by the system that was created to help families and to protect children. Unfortunately, through personal accounts given to me by those I work with and beside, I now realize that the system is broken. I also want to share that while I would like to put my faith in the juvenile/family court justice system to resolve issues in a manner that is consistent with protecting one's rights, with a great deal of sadness I will share the stories of families where the court system has only contributed to the difficulties that families have. With the power to make custody and other decisions in a child protection services case, the court is a large portion of the system-wide illness that I now know to exist. It is not only failing in a duty to come to just decisions but is basing those poorly informed judgements on a proponderence of evidence. I will discuss this and many other definitions and concepts in a series of blogs to help blog readers understand the full extent of the problem.
It is my sincere hope that I can maintain some semblance of objectivity and that this blog might find its way to those that need this information. It is also my hope that some of the information might be used to help parents (or merely a person interested) find a needed resource or use the information to understand and perhaps take action against the deficiencies in the current system.
Please check back weekly for updates.