A Child Protection Services Christmas

Here’s a Christmas story. A not yet 2½ year old child was taken from his family by CPS last summer based on the observation that his mother’s “eyes looked funny” and a call to the hotline about which the CPS attorney said “we have nothing.”

The child languishes in the care of a two-time protective order recipient who recently threatened to slap the child’s mother. The family doesn’t get visits because they “don’t appreciate the severity of the (alleged) problems.” The judge “doesn’t have time” to hear the case.

Christmas is hardly happening for this family. They can’t bear to be “together” alone. The usual out-of-town relatives won’t be here because they’re also distraught. The grandmother attempted to make her annual Christmas cookies and personally blames CPS for them not turning out well. No one sleeps well; they snipe at each other out of frustration. Concentration is out the window and ask if they’ve seen any friends recently.

What do you tell people when they ask about that adorable little boy?

A mediator for CPS suggested the parents separate and perhaps one of them would get him back! Let’s rip the family further apart. They’re saving money not buying presents but then again, their funds have gone to lawyers and drug tests at $150 a pop for each parent — all came out negative anyway.

What about the child’s Christmas? Or simply his day-to-day life? What is he thinking? What has CPS taught him about about love, trust, autonomy, safety at this crucial stage of his life?

His caseworker says not to worry: he’s “fine.” Thanks for the info. Thanks for ruining a family while other children die under CPS’s tutelage.

Merry Christmas.

This story was originally published December 20, 2016 at 3:02 PM with the headline "A Child Protection Services Christmas."