Nobody needs to agree with me. Even if I face opposition, I will protest the evils of child protective services as long as I need to. However, a lot of people do agree – most of them, because they’ve had children taken from their families by this over-active, family-destroying government agency.
CPS makes parents jump through hoops to try to get their children back.
It isn’t only young parents who are feeling the pain. Many grandparents are traumatized when their grandchildren are placed in foster homes. Though the CPS rules state that extended family members should be given Kinship Care rights before a foster home is considered, that rule is often violated so that grandparents and other family members are left with the quandary of looking for legal help, paying a juvenile court lawyer, and spending many days, weeks, and months in a state of mental torture and pain.
Often it is grandparents who the children are taken away from. If a grandparent is raising grandchildren in lieu of the parents for any reason, that family group becomes an easy target for a CPS agent, because the grandparent has no legal standing in court to be given a reunification plan and an opportunity to get the child back. Many hearts have been broken.
In Riverside, California, a couple managed to get Kinship Care rights for their very young granddaughter. The parents weren’t able to complete their service plan and/or weren’t able to get their daughter back. Their parental rights were terminated by the county juvenile court when the child was two years old. The grandparents who had her all those months adored her completely and were ready to adopt when CPS workers showed up at their door and informed them they no longer had grandparent rights as the parent’s rights were terminated. They removed that beautiful young girl from the family she loved and placed her with a lesbian couple for adoption. The grandparents never saw their beloved granddaughter again. They had no rights to protect her from this outrageous government agency. They protested for months. They went to court. And nothing they did made any difference. They eventually had to give up because their granddaughter was lost to them forever.
So, for all those who think “It could never happen to me” there are many thousands of heartbroken, traumatized Americans (and this happens in other countries too) who are grieving and will never fully recover from violation of family rights. This kind of experience eliminates our abilities to trust anyone, especially our government. This is why I fight CPS… to give those who are suffering legal information and support they need while they’re going through exceedingly dark days of despair.
Julia says
Hi Linda, I am a grandmother of two beautiful girls. They are the last two of my seven grandchildren but these two were taken from their parents, my son and were told that i could raise them and I could start preparing for them to live with me and which I did and then all a sudden, they kept putting me off. Then one morning I received a phone call that I needed to come down there and the next thing I knew I was being charged with sexual abuse for showing them my breast when i got out of the shower. The charges were dropped but they are still calling it indecent exposure.so that misstopping me from adopting my grandchildren my question to you do you know if I can fight this and still try to adopt them and what kind of attorney do if need, I would love to file a civil lawsuit as well
Linda Jo Martin says
Sorry for your grief Julia… I am not an attorney and don’t know if you can fight this. No harm in trying but it would cost a lot to hire an attorney most likely. Some women in Africa show their breasts and nobody seems to mind and I doubt it hurts their children. It is just a cultural preference. This seems like a gray area of the law.
Melissa says
My daughter was involved with cos and the children were placed I my mothers care since I was afraid dhs wouldn’t place them in my care because of my disability. Well my mother’s cancer r came back and cps removed them. My mother had made a recommendation to cps for children but tvat person had manipulated my mother and told ger that we would always be able to see children, that they would routinely allow the children to see their older sister. Now they are refusing to carry out on their promises now they gave adopted children. My daughter never agreed to have her children adopted out.
CM says
Why move to another state? I am going though similar situation. My grandchild in major trouble, I’m afraid for her little life. Cyf would not look at my evidence or pictures. They are in denial like nothing is happening to my grandchild. My grandchild has been telling me about abuse since she was 3. Cyf does not like me cause I kept calling for meetings. It’s not about me, it’s about the children. They have no ?.
Georgia says
My grand kids are in CPS they are getting upset with me because I’m riding them to get me approved for their RFA program and it takes them 2 days to fax one piece of paper so that I can complete the program, unreal. When I get them I will go for gaurdianship and get rid of CPS , they sent me a paper offing them to me of course I have been in this from the beginning and I’m being treated like I’m not important and a second class citizen, this is a travesty.
Linda Jo Martin says
Yes, that is how it works and all I can do is pray for your family to be together. The children are lucky to have a grandmother who wants guardianship.
Kayla says
Woodstock needs to happen. Fight CPS. It needs to happen
4 girls grandmother says
Hi Linda Jo in need of some answers? Cps in the state of hawaii took all 4 of my grandkids from at the end of October 2020 they been living with me from the beginning of Feb 2019. They tell just about a week or two before they took my grandkids which would be October 23 , 2020 that I had to devorse my husband who is a sex offender who does not live here in the United States cuz he got deported back to phillipines after he got out of arizona prison few years ago. I wanna know why they never told me this when they first did my background check and nd license me or when i first got the kids to come stay with me ? My son nd the kids mother had there tpr hearing back in dec 2019 . I was supposed to be adopting them back they were supposed to be doing all the paperwork but they didn’t give me any information or paperwork on me adopting them. They were inconsistent with there monthly checkups that there sopposed be doing monthly. I am not a child neglect or abuser or drug user never was I have a steady job pay my bills currently renting a house with my parents I can support them on my own. I never had a cps case ever. They tell me that there terminating the residence oh yes also bcuz the kids sometimes slept In livingroom cuz it’s hot with all of them in the room with me. Well guess what I finally got the divorce papers finalized nd currently looking for a place bigger without my parent so the kids can have there own room. If I get lawyer do you think I have a good chance for appealing this case.
Linda Jo Martin says
I honestly can’t advise you on the case. Really sorry your family was torn apart. Find a few attorneys willing to give their opinions… they are the only ones who can legally advise in that way.
carol says
Cys took my grandbabies from the father he abused them my daughter is incarcerated they wont let her see or talk to her children. I’ve been with my grandbabies for 2 yrs and we share a strong bond and every time I try to contact cys I get told I have nothing in it and their rude they placed my grand babies with the other grand parents that’s only seen them once since birth I find this very unfair. The other grand parents are teaching and referring to me as my first name and them as grandma and pappy. This breaks my heart and i had be put on medication due to all this.
Cys says I have nothing in it but yet those are my grand babies I’ve been in their life since birth I’ve been put on medication and I’m heart broken I share a strong bond with my grand babies cys is unfair and rude
Linda Jo Martin says
I hope you’ll try to make friends with the other grandparents so they will let you see the grandchildren as much as possible.
Teresa Mason says
I raised 4 of my grandbabies. The oldest is 10 the youngest is 4. I let my daughter have them when she got an apartment and job & was clean. Dhs took the kids 6-8 months later and gave them to me. They then deemed my home unsafe, I was dumbfounded! As were all of my family friends and neighbors, my home was not unsafe. And then in May, after emailing governor Stitt for help, they assessed and denied me as foster parent without me even knowing until after the fact. I found out in april that there were 2 things on my history that were not mine, and that’s why, besides the email i sent to gov stitt, is what they had been judging me on. Again, my home was not unsafe, & dhs has pics to prove it.
Now, i have less than 60 days to save my grand babies before they are forever in states custody!! And all i’ve ever done is love nd take care of them. I have to file a motion to intervene on my own as i cant afford an attorney, and dhs knows this. I have no idea what i’m doing. I’m trying to learn it all, but i’m running out of time.
Can someone please help my grand babies?? The worker also took me away from them in the beginning only giving me 15 min a month visits because they asked for me too much. well, that’s because i raised them, anyway, the all 4 ended up with ptsd after really not ever getting to see me, and the 4yr old had to be put on prozac for anger. . The 2 older kids are now in shelters, they’ve all been seperated.
Linda Jo Martin says
Teresa, I’m so sorry your grandchildren were taken and treated so badly. My heart goes out to you. I don’t have a way to provide legal services and am not an attorney so I’d be in a lot of trouble if I ever did try to work on someone’s case. They’ve watched me to make sure I’m not breaking the rules… so I’m very careful to not do that. You are doing good to try to figure out how to file forms on your own. If you can’t get custody back, please try to be on friendly basis with whoever has them so you can visit. A lot of fosterers and adopters will do that, especially for grandparents.
Donna Sharp says
They same with me, cos tore my family up I have one that’s in a mental institution as he is only 11 years of age and the other in a group home, she ran away, she could be dead somewhere, cos is evil, they was with me grandma and grandpa, had there own rooms was so happy, doing good in school, my daughter and son-in- law came by and saw them for 10 minutes and that gave them an excuse for taking them away, I was right there nothing was going to happen, and what my daughter did was not even bad, they never spanked their children, they had a drug problem for a short time cps would not give them a chance to go to rehab, the cps worker did not like us, she said so, she said that she was going to make our life’s living hell and she did, she was jealous because we had money and nice homes, to bad I could not of tape recorded her, they would have had to dropped it if that could have happened, now I can see cos taken children away if their badly abuses but mine your not and now their messes up for life, we grandparents need to do something this, we need to straighten these states out on this, there messing up lives.
Serena Murphy says
Move away to another state asap, start filing as many complaints and charges you can and submit lawsuits to the federal court in your district for civil rights violations. You have to get as many eyes on your case as possible. If everyone started suing the system would collapse. We are winning
Jody Johns says
I took in my 4 year old granddaughter almost 4 months ago when the county removed her from her father’s care. Her 14 month old half sister (in her mother’s care) was already placed in foster care 2 months prior. I started the foster care licensing process. I have done everything asked of me and prepared my home to have both children so the siblings will grow up together. We have started the transition process. Parental rights of all parents were terminated last month. My 4 year old granddaughter has made HUGE progress with behaviors, etc., since being in my home. I have a misdemeanor drug charge on my criminal record. I told the county of this. They are just now telling me that this disqualifies me and they will have to remove my granddaughter from my home. Do I have any rights or options at this time? I cannot afford a retainer for a lawyer. There has to be something that can be done as a household change to a stranger foster home will not benefit my granddaughter or her behaviors and attachment issues she has already developed as a result of neglect in the first 4 years of life. Please help!
Linda Jo Martin says
Jody, I’m so sorry! I think their rules are ridiculously strict. If you can’t get an attorney this could be difficult. I don’t know if you’re qualified for an administrative hearing, but that’s an option you could check out with the state department of social services. I’d go to your elected county commissioner (or they may be called county supervisors) – someone who is elected and who represents people in your section of the county, in county government. They are responsible for everything happening in the county. They may be able to pull strings internally with the agency, or at least could provide some guidance or ideas that would work in your area. Good luck. I know this is a terrible heartbreak for all involved … in case it all can’t work out, try to become friends with whoever gets the children so you can visit.
Serena Murphy says
Move away to another state asap, start filing as many complaints and charges you can and submit lawsuits to the federal court in your district for civil rights violations. You have to get as many eyes on your case as possible. If everyone started suing the system would collapse. We are winning
Serena Murphy says
I am trying to get my grandkids from foster care in NY. I live in North Carolina. I been getting a run around. They told me to drive up there, per for drugs and fill out a paper, they’d give me the boys, so I did. They had me request kinship guardianship, and 2 days after I got back denied me. They offered to pay housing, etc if I’d move there, I said no. I guess I will file for a fair hearing, and file for custody with family court next. I’m not sure what to do about getting a lawyer. They won’t appoint me one, because I do not live there, and I can’t afford the thousands of dollars the local attorneys there are asking for . My daughter and boyfriend are willing to sign custody to me, I think the state’s gonna fight me though. The whole thing is making me sick. Anything you can advise me?
Linda Jo Martin says
They want to keep the case in one county, apparently. Why are you unwilling to move there for the duration of the case? They need to make sure the children are safe and I guess a transfer won’t work for them. That’s a good offer, that they want to pay housing. I’m so sorry about this difficulty in your family. If you don’t go get the grandchildren now, they could eventually be adopted out to foster parents. I hope, at the very least, that you can forge a good relationship with whoever that would be.
Gail says
Hello my oldest daughter has had 5 children and hasn’t raised any of them her aunt has took custody of 3 of them another is with his dad and her youngest is in foster care about to be adopted out I went for temporary custody until she got into rehab treatment but was denied because I had a pass CPS case I don’t understand my case is almost 17yrs old plus they put her youngest daughter in my care 2 yrs ago I don’t understand why I can’t get my Grandson who is a little under a month old they gave me the run around saying that a letter was sent to me telling me why I was denied I have yet to get this letter so I can file an appeal what can I do or am I just out of luck
Luisa says
Imfeeling so helpless my 5 grandchildren were taken by cps accusing my daughter of letting her boyfriend abuse her 2 smallest age 2 n 3.cps will not them stay with me because of a cps case 29 years ago n 17year old abuse case ? Is this right? The children all want to be me. What can i do? Asap
LJ Martin says
So sorry, Luisa! Have you talked to an attorney? Do you have any proof or verification that your case was closed and children returned to you by CPS? Some kind of evidence that you are a safe person to raise the children while they are away from their mom?
Vic says
I was taken into Foster care when I was only 6. CPS made me say things that were not true by coaching me. I never went back home. I am 37 and ready to end my life because i do not have anyone to turn to. I want to Sue the state of WA AND CPS and whoever is part of causing this mess of my life. I know I am going to WIN BIG TIME. I am ready for my story to come out and i need as much help as possible. First an attorney referral. Thanks for making this site.
LJ Martin says
Hi there, Shawn McMillan handles cases like that successfully. He works in California. I don’t know if he could work in Washington too but if you contact his law firm maybe they could refer you to someone who does. See: California Attorney Shawn McMillan on Why He Fights CPS: “They’re Stealing Kids” … and you are never alone; Jesus loves you.
Vic says
I have been researching and talking to local attorney and he said with their law firm the statue of limitations would only allow to get damages from a rape case. You know any loopholes?
I’m gonna contact Shawn’s firm as well now. Thank you 🙂
Barbara says
Linda, back in October of this year. CPS took my 7 wonderful grandchildren from my daughter. The story to this is long but I will try to shorten it as much as I can. My husband and I have stayed with my daughter and her husband thru all of our grandchildren’s lives from day one of every one of them. What we didn’t know was he was beating our daughter she always had an excuse for the bruise or broken bone. Then she turned him in and CPS moved in the picture and there was a big upheaval in the family, they made my daughter and her kids go to a shelter they said it was to get a home for her and the children. They did get one then 11 months later my grandson became ill with PTS a blood disorder dealing with his platelets. My daughter took him to the ER because he was bruised a black eye from school and other bruises we don’t know where they came from. He didn’t even know. Well, he received a second black eye when a toy was being thrown into a toy box. My daughter called the caseworker who turned her in for abuse. They removed all the children that afternoon after school. My daughter gets 2 hours with them all once a week supervised visits. Now the father is in jail and they are trying to place the children into a new foster home that is his family who goes to see him in jail. CPS told my daughter I was unfit to be their grandmother. They said horrible things about me and will not let me care for any of them. I feel like I am hurting my daughter’s case. I don’t know what to do. I am more than traumatized I don’t know what to do. It is hard to breathe. Please, can you help me what can we do? I don’t think I can live without them. They are saying if it’s their choice she would never get them back. What do we do please help?
LJ Martin says
Hi, precious grandmother. . . first, do not believe them when they say you are unfit. That is a lie, as you are full of love for the grandchildren, and that is the most important thing they need.
Second, try to get along with the other side of their family, because family harmony is one thing your grandchildren need very much. They need to know adults in their family can get along peacefully.
Third, it is really up to your daughter to show what she can do to take care of her children. She may never get all of them back because that’s quite a few children for one mom to be taking care of as well as working. But still, she will have to work to support herself and the children, and maintain a home. It is a huge endeavor.
Look at this from the children’s point of view. They need a calm and happy place to grow up where they will be loved. It doesn’t matter where, exactly, so long as it is a family member who loves them and is willing for there to be visits with other family members. Ideally, with their mom, of course!
I’m so sorry you’re so beset with grief this Christmas season. Please pray and rely on Lord Jesus to guide you and heal your broken heart, because that’s what He does: Psalm 34:18 and Isaiah 61:1.
God bless you and your family and I pray that there will be a wonderful reunion for all of you, especially in heaven, which is eternal whereas this part of life is rather temporary.
Spread love and good cheer, especially around the grandchildren and caretakers and even the social workers who no doubt are going along with their programming only because they are desperate for a paycheck to be able to take care of their own families.
Tell your daughter to get the best job she can – that’s essential. Tough situation – but this too will pass. Much love to you!
khan says
so sorry what happened to you.
Shirley Tech says
They just took my grandchildren. I can’t even get out of bed. Can’t eat.
LJ Martin says
I’m so sorry, Shirley – what has happened to your grandchildren, I wonder. This can go in different directions. When they get involved it is so unpredictable. You, or anyone else in this situation, my heart goes out to you.
Sandra says
Cps won’t give me my grandchildren they already adopted out 2 of my granddaughters many years ago I am bound and dertermied to put up a good fight this time I have a misdemeanor on my record so that males me the worst to them anything would be very useful to me. Thank You Sandra
LJ Martin says
I only can refer you to whatever is already on my site, http://fightcps.com – I’m not legally allowed to work on individual cases or advise on them as I’m not an attorney. They do watch me to make sure I’m following rules! I hope you’ll be able to develop a strategy that works in your case. Pray for inspiration! Holy Spirit can guide you.
Tammy Doud says
Linda, I am sorry I did not realize u had replied to me way back when I just found,this when i googled my name. well I lost my grandchildren in that battle which continued forv5 years and after the supreme court refused to review my case and I had no lawyer to help me. well thats not completely true they did grant me one for an Appeal I filed but I would have been better off just doing it my self because she didn’t include every thing she said,she would she left the most important parts out after telling me she would Puyallup them in the brief.
Any ways they r doing it to me again with another set of grandkids and this time they have illegally search my long time companions van and planted drugs in it and then two months late hit us with well started withv2 search warrants for the two property’s my companion owns when I,wasn’t home and refused to allow him to accompany them asbthey search. and again planted drugs in different places on the properTy and when we finally git a copy of theirs twocwarants there was not one item they were searching for listed not one only charges. and then they obtained 4 more the same day fir things they allegedly found while searching allying all he is facing 12 charges all class 1, 2, and3 felonies so now I cant,get kinship care for thegrand babies I did have them dorm three months,then they fave them back to there mom then all this happened and they took them back from there mom. and the reason they got involved in the first place, your not going to believe this one, is because I delivered my granddaughter because we couldn’t make it to the hospital, we were on our way but didn’t make it so I pulled off at a friend of mines house and they Let me use there spare room. so i didn’t have to deliver her in my dirry truck in the side of the freeway. anyways here we wreaked fighting for our lives again and they wonder why there are suicide bombers u know what I mean. I would never do something like that but I understand where they might be coming from ya know.
LJ Martin says
My heart is breaking for you, Tammy… so sorry your family is under attack.
Missy says
HI I live in the state of west virginia and my husband and I are fighting cps for our grandson whom they want to leave with the foster parents. We like many others have done all we were told to do from a home study to obtaining a foster care license. They have even place other foster kids into our home . We were accused of try to get the kids to change their story of neglect and when they could not prove that they had me take a parental fitness evaluation and when we offered to set it up and pay for it was told that it had to go through them with the state paying for it, Shocker when I failed their test that was very biased and a conflict of interest. We have unsupervised visits every other weekend. If we a a danger or would do something wrong why let the child come home on the weekends? None of this makes since to us and everyday you see grandparents, aunt , uncles whom want these kids and can keep them safe and provide a home for them but CPS would rather tear a family apart
Andrea Bonnett says
I’m a single grandparent and even though I did a live scan background check and had my home inspected cps will not consider me. They have made allegations that I was not truthful with them in initial interviews, but cannot back those allegations up with evidence. They now want to place my grandson with the current foster parents on a long term basis. I’m afraid if I fight this I will also lose visitation rights and won’t see him until he is 18. I’m sick with the pain and feeling hopeless and helpless.
Tammy Doud says
The same thing happened to me in Arizona what i want to know is what are we going to do about it. How are u fighting CPS I want to fight too.
LindaJoMartin says
Hi Tammy, so sorry that happened to you. The pain is so intense, I am often overwhelmed by the sorrow I feel. I fight CPS on my website, http://fightcps.com … there’s a message board for victims of CPS to give support to each other. You’re welcome to join us there.