child protective services and imminent danger
Lynnwood, WA
Viewed 451 times.
Posted about 1 year ago in Administrative Law
Flag as objectionable
My fiance called 911 on 2-15 to make sure our child had not been affected by some fumes from glue he was using in the garage on a project.The EMT's checked him out said his oxygen level was fine etc. and if it would make us more comfortable we could take him to the hospital to be checked out, but they wouldn't reccommend transporting him. They assured us he was fine and noted on their report: baby normal, advise to take to hospital if they choose, transport denied, mother to watch baby at home. About 12 hours later CPS showed up wanting to know why we didn't take him to the hospital? My response was if the EMT's had any doubt in their mind as to my childs safety and well being, then why didn't they transport him? Not to mention she was only refering to the hospital the EMT's stated and there are 2 hospitals way closer to us. How did she know I didn't take him there since the EMT's said he was fine and left him w/me? She started asking us personal questions unrelated to the case and I was honest and answered her question about us getting help for a drug problem. We live with my mother (my dad died 1 year ago today) and my brothers and sisters were going to help take care of my younger 2 boys and I had already made agreement with my exhusband 3 days before she showed up to keep my older 2 until we got help. So my whole family was involved with that. Then she wrote up a "safety plan" which included: take baby to dr, call for assessment 2/19 (4 days later-holiday weekend), start random uas 2/19 (again 4 days later) and "try not to use drugs this weekend!" I can't find anything in that safety plan that is safe, or a service to prevent out of home placement, or service to protect the crucial parent/child/sibling bond? It was just to document our drug use. She was wanting us to drive under the influence to take a ua to use it against us. My question is if the children were taken 2/29 due to our drug use putting them in imminent danger, then why weren't they taken on 2/15 the first time I told her? or 2/19 when she stopped by? or on 2/22 when she stopped by? or on 2/28 when she stopped by? There were no change in circumstances between those dates. And another question-Is a parents drug use automatically considered neglect or abuse w/o any proof of neglect/abuse? (for instance the hospital and their pediatrician who is my doctor too, both were aware of our drug problem and on all the medical records it states that I was caring for my children appropriately and that he has had no concerns of neglect/abuse of the kids and he sees us regularly) When my dad died I gave him cpr when I was 34 weeks pregnant, my brother in law died 11/4 and my son quit breathing 11/9 while I was holding him at Walgreens and put him in the hospital for 4 nights requiring deep suctioning due to a URI. They did every test imaginable and there were no signs of neglect or abuse which would have been seen and they are mandated reporters just like my doctor and had known since november. Our drug use in no way affected my children, we have never used around them and they were never exposed (they did a ua 2/15 on my son which was negative). And here we are 103 days later and I still haven't been put into treatment but my fiance is right now. You don't take a family who has been through as much as we have and create more problems----you try and help them! Especially if they want the help. A social worker gets 6 weeks of training and then 20 hours of training a year. I have been a mother for 416 weeks and aprx 69888 hours-because that is my profession of choice. I train on a daily basis. Plus the whole investigation is about ME calling 911 and not being able to report my sons medical needs due to my drug use, and then says I hadn't used for 2-3 days, and the first UA was 4 days later (2+4=6 so she couldn't prove if I was high that night). Their founded report states my DEAD father as the 911 caller who was using the fiberglass in the babies room.
Answers (1)Michael E Hendrickson
This attorney is licensed in Dist. of Columbia.
Posted about 1 year ago.
Flag as objectionable
Better get an attorney to represent you in this matter. Your description of this scenario demonstrates what can happen when a naive and otherwise innocent person becomes the target of a government bureaucrat's investigation and begins answering too many questions without the advice of counsel.
|