Dealing with Cps

CPS folks are actually pretty good folks.

My suggestion is to call the supervisor of the person assigned to your case (the case worker.)

If you have all of the medical information available, send them a certified copy. A letter from your son's own personal pediatrician would also help as an introduction, with a description of his disorder and signed by his own hand.

If you do not have a full record of your son's medical history, get it asap so that you have it on hand at all times, in multiple copies if necessary.

Also, if you change doctors, that's a really good reason to access it.

Plus, have your child re-evaluated for failure to thrive and the other medical issues, so that you have fresh evidence.

Once you have been targeted by CPS, it's pretty much a lifelong target, and they examine everything to make sure they are not lax in their duties. But don't get discouraged, they really do want to do their jobs right.

Trust me, they see babies all the time with failure to thrive and other issues that cannot be explained by the mothers, so they get suspicious unless there is a parent who is on the ball. They have to trust that the doctor or the other person who was concerned enough to contact them was educated enough to call them and inform them, and they have to follow up in case something really is wrong. Lots of kids slip through their fingers because of huge case management loads, so you are actually (sadly) one of the lucky ones getting their unwanted attention!

Just to put your mind at rest a bit, their goal is not to split the family or take your child away. I promise. Some of them might be old school and kind of dumb, but for the most part they are very highly trained and very sensitive to their communities. Just watch for a burnt out worker, that's when you really have to call the supervisor. It might even help to visit the office and talk to some people there, just don't bring your son with you and dress up a bit. If you still do not get anywhere, you can file a grievance with the county to start the ball rolling on a hearing.

Good luck!

Have you touched base with the Warmline Family Resource Center, they are for families with children with special needs of all kinds and may be able to link you with other families.

I was a Regional Center Service Coordinator for many years and have seen parents go thru this with children with failure to thrive, especially. It's curious that the doctor notified
CPS, perhaps s/he felt you were not following through on medical advise? I guess I would need to know more as speculating is not helpful. Regarding CPS, how to deal with them, unfortunately you have to now - I would inundate your worker with calls - such as any and everything you are doing for your child - better yet, e-mail so you have documentation of your follow up and contact with them. For example, if you contact the Warmline, e-mail your CPS worker and let them know and what referrals you are following up on. They are overwhelmed, and once they get the idea that you are doing all that needs to be done, they should be less invasive in your life, hopefully.

You may also contact Alta California Regional Center's Early Intervention Program - they would also be helpful.

Best of Luck to you :)

You go an laywer and get a new doctor

Hi T.. I was a foster mom for almost 11 years. Educate the social worker on your son's syndrome. Make sure you do everything the docs are telling you to do. Make sure you go to every follow-up appointment and test the doctor prescribes. Give you son all the meds the doc's prescribe even if you don't agree with it. Contact the Warmline about any classes they have coming up so you can tell your case worker. Their number is (800) 660-7995.

A good friend of mine recently had her kids taken by CPS, one of them with special needs, because of the doctor calling it in to CPS.