Update kids in cars

[Deleted]

Sorry no update til now, she asked me to stop posting until she heard from CPS. She was assigned a new investigator the following week after the original investigator came to her house. The new one told her that the previous was taken off her case due to several issues. New investigator had no issues with anything in her house, spoke to the kids, her husband, several friends, a few neighbors and the kids' doctor. He told her to be more cautious in the future about the kids, as he had several other cases involving similar things. One was at a gas station and the parent was just pumping gas and they were called. One was the parent was getting their mail at the end of the drive and the neighbor called CPS. And another involved a parent that stepped out of their car at the post office to mail something at the drive up box and CPS was called. (Not sure if he should be telling these stories, but she said no names were given)

He gave her his card and informed her to ignore anything from the previous investigator. She said she did apologize again for calling and complaining about the investigator. The new guy said he would make a note.

She was informed yesterday the case is closed, but the police and CPS are both pursuing action against the nurse. He said for lying to police, filing a false CPS report (she was told the nurse was not a mandated reporter and the police were the ones who should have called in, not her, if it was warranted) and several other charges. She said she may have to give a statement and potentially appear in court regarding the nurse.

So there you have it.

[VillainV]

I'm so sorry that your friend is in this situation, but it seems like the new investigator is working out.

I can't believe that people are calling CPS for kids in cars while parents are pumping gas, getting mail at the end of the driveway, or using a drive-up mailbox. Talk about a waste of CPS' time....

edit: spelling

[Deleted]

I thought the same thing. But, with all the cases that have been in the news it does seem like this issue is being brought front and center. In cases where the calls are warranted its a great thing when people step in, but in these cases it's a waste of time and resources.

[ECB]

WTF? o.k. - DS is at an age where he wants to "help" at the gas station. I am SOOOO nervous when he's out of the car at a gas station. Just too much going on. Absolutely the safer place is IN the car. But people are calling CPS about this???

People really have too much time on their hands if they are wasting time and money on these kinds of issues.

Going into a store where you can't even see the parent - o.k. - I get it. But when the parent is RIGHT there, w/in steps of the car- WTF?

[speckledfrog]

What a clusterfuck.

[redheadk]

I'm closer to my child when pumping has than I am when I have to walk around my car to get in after strapping her in. Wtf?

[EmilieMadison]

I wonder what the investigator meant when he said to be "more cautious", and why he didnt just say "Dont leave your kids in the car"? And for living in a small town/county where you said everyone leaves their kids in the car without a second thought, there sure are a lot of CPS calls about kids being left in the car even if the parent is standing, literally, right next to the car.

[speckledfrog]

Is it possible that it's not illegal in her state? I know in TX it is.

[leeann]

Oct 3, 2013 9:35:19 GMT -5 @letshike said:

Oct 3, 2013 9:33:36 GMT -5 Que? said:

Yeah, it's pretty convenient that it all worked out and the takeaway here will be to just koko.

I'm sure the CPS worker is right, people are militant over this kid in the car stuff, but it's for good reason. It's pretty irresponsible to send the message to someone who left three kids in the car that she was just a victim of some over zealousness. No. She left three kids in the car. Awesome. I feel so much better about this.

I'm starting to feel like this is all bullshit. Why kind of hick town/state do you live in?

I think it's a bullshit story or at least parts. Why would the CPS investigator tell her about what is happening to the nurse? Isn't that against procedure? Some things don't add up in the story.

It's all wrapped up too nicely for me, so I'm here.

[litebright]

I'm still scratching my head here. I could see going after her for lying to police, but there's no way they're going to prosecute her for calling CPS even though she isn't technically a mandated reporter.

It doesn't matter if she's a mandated reporter or not, anyone can call. I bet the people who called over kids left in cars while pumping gas, at the mailbox, etc. were not prosecuted for filing a "false" report, and this woman likely will not be, either.

[speckledfrog]

Maybe the new CPS person was the nurse's husband sent in on a recon mission! The call is coming from inside the house!

[livinitup]

She was a victim of overzealousness. The caller lied to police and CPS to make the incident seem worse than the facts revealed.

Thank you so much for the update. I am surprised and relieved that a new investigator was assigned. It gives me a little hope that bad CPS workers can and are replaced.

Also - I've seen NUMEROUS malicious CPS reports when family members and/or neighbors are in dispute. I even had a client called for getting their mail, because the neighbor was in dispute about the use of the driveway on a shared property. Yes, people call CPS to report BS just to mess with another family. Not for child safety at all.

[mcsangel2]

I think y'all are crazy to think this is all made up/exaggerated. trixieflips, I'm glad it's over for your friend. I wonder if it will come out if the nurse did in fact know the original investigator.

[spitforspat]

Oh. Ok. Suuuuuure.

[EmilieMadison]

Oct 3, 2013 9:33:36 GMT -5 Que? said:

Oct 3, 2013 9:23:18 GMT -5 EmilieMadison said:

I wonder what the investigator meant when he said to be "more cautious", and why he didnt just say "Dont leave your kids in the car"? And for living in a small town/county where you said everyone leaves their kids in the car without a second thought, there sure are a lot of CPS calls about kids being left in the car even if the parent is standing, literally, right next to the car.

Yeah, it's pretty convenient that it all worked out and the takeaway here will be to just koko.

I'm sure the CPS worker is right, people are militant over this kid in the car stuff, but it's for good reason. It's pretty irresponsible to send the message to someone who left three kids in the car that she was just a victim of some over zealousness. No. She left three kids in the car. Awesome. I feel so much better about this.

I'm starting to feel like this is all bullshit. Why kind of hick town/state do you live in?

Yeah, my bullshit sensor stated beeping in her OP. If any of this is even true, I think the OP is the "friend", and I dont think any of it was nearly as dramatic.  

[Deleted]

These cases would not be known unless you know someone involved or work for CPS. People are definitely being more militant after the past summer, for sure. But these examples are definitely extreme. And I think he was warning her going forward.

She said she was told about the charges as she will more than likely have to give a statement, but even there I question the investigator telling her, but maybe it was just to give her a heads up?

She has not repeated the offense and said she won't. She does not ever want to go through this again.

And for hick town, yeah. Nearest store other than mom and pop local grocers? 20 minute drive for walmart. Over 2 hours for Target. Population less than a thousand. Yeah, small town.

[mcsangel2]

Oct 3, 2013 9:55:05 GMT -5 pagas said:

I don't buy this at all. She leaves her kids locked in a car and the nurse is in trouble for reporting it, but everything is good with CPS? Makes no sense to me.

I think the nurse got in trouble for stating to the police the kids were left for more than a half hour, when the store's video surveillance proved that the mom was gone for 3 1/2 minutes.

[Deleted]

For such a small town there seems to be a huge uptick of "kid in car" investigations.

[snickers]

^o)

[Deleted]

Oct 3, 2013 9:59:02 GMT -5 @bettyhomewrecker33 said:

For such a small town there seems to be a huge uptick of "kid in car" investigations.

I think a lot of it is over zealousness. They don't have much else to do, so lets play hero. I'm sure if the general public was made aware of CPS investigations nationwide we would see a huge uptick after the awareness campaigns this past year.



And if the investigator thought there was a problem with what happened, what she did, the case would not have been closed that quickly. Especially after reviewing the security tapes and talking to everyone. 

[WOT?*]

Coming from me this is kind of funny but there's a lot of extraneous information there and stuff she shouldn't know. Maybe it's like the "telephone" game where the first person says something but the second hears something else and it gets expanded upon in the gossip line.  Or she's assuming.

But in dealing with CPS I can see where the (second) investigator might have said in general terms some past examples. They might not even be true stories, or stories he or his office has worked on but more general "this type of thing has happened" stories. No identifying information was given but they were certainly used as cautionary tales. I've had our caseworkers (and other related parties) tell similar stories, as examples of "what not to do" - such as visitation with the girls' mother/my daughter and ways it should be done and not done, why and how it can affect guardianship and now the adoption proceedings.

And I can see where the investigator would tell her, after a second investigation, that the case will be closed and it can be assumed to be closed. DD2 has had several investigations, walk-throughs, case-closed instances before an extended investigation occurred.

But it's on record now and she has a history with CPS so if it continues, they will certainly look more closely at her.

He certainly shouldn't have told her they're investigating the nurse, if that is true.  Not why, not even IF.  That stuff is confidential, no two ways about it.  (Been there, done that, as well.  Case file information is confidential and investigation files are confidential, with relevant information available to the parent or guardian or with permission of the parent or legal guardian or unless the children are legally free and then they can be provided in part - after material is redacted - to the adoptive parents in the course of adoption.  If the caseworker said anything regarding the investigation, he broke protocol.)

[Deleted]

[mcsangel2]

I just got off chat with a friend on FB who's a cop, because I wanted to know if he could shed some light on this.

He says, the nurse is also probably in trouble (aside from filing a false report) for calling CPS because she already called the police. Both are local government agencies. The nurse is a private citizen. Calling either the police, or CPS, would have been fine. But once she involved one agency (the police), it should have been left to that agency to contact the other if it was necessary. So it was a waste of resources. (Especially since the police determined at the scene that the report was falsified/overstated).

ETA: It would be like if the police left, after determining that nothing was wrong, and the nurse called the police out again for the same thing.

[EmilieMadison]

Oct 3, 2013 10:10:50 GMT -5 trixieflips said:

Oct 3, 2013 9:59:02 GMT -5 @bettyhomewrecker33 said:

For such a small town there seems to be a huge uptick of "kid in car" investigations.

I think a lot of it is over zealousness. They don't have much else to do, so lets play hero. I'm sure if the general public was made aware of CPS investigations nationwide we would see a huge uptick after the awareness campaigns this past year.



And if the investigator thought there was a problem with what happened, what she did, the case would not have been closed that quickly. Especially after reviewing the security tapes and talking to everyone. 

So, you're saying that the CPS investigator's official opinion is that leaving her 3 children unattended in a car while she went into a store is NOT a problem? 
Are you high? 

[mcsangel2]

Oct 3, 2013 10:25:59 GMT -5 EmilieMadison said:

So, you're saying that the CPS investigator's official opinion is that leaving her 3 children unattended in a car while she went into a store is NOT a problem? 
Are you high? 

It didn't sound like that what's the investigator told her - after all, she was warned not to do it again. But you can't prosecute someone for something that MIGHT have happened, but didn't.

[Deleted]

Absolutely you can get in trouble for calling in a false report. My sister did this when she was being investigated and ended up being charged with a misdemeanor for doing it. It was later pled down, but she was charged. In itself I don't think calling was her place as the police were there, but she lied. She should have left it to the officer.

And mrsbpo I agree about the protocol. That's why I mentioned it here after she told me.

[Deleted]

Oct 3, 2013 10:27:24 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

Oct 3, 2013 10:25:59 GMT -5 EmilieMadison said:

So, you're saying that the CPS investigator's official opinion is that leaving her 3 children unattended in a car while she went into a store is NOT a problem? 
Are you high? 

It didn't sound like that what's the investigator told her - after all, she was warned not to do it again. But you can't prosecute someone for something that MIGHT have happened, but didn't.

If their official opinion was different, there would have been action taken, correct? She was advised not to do it again. She did not break any laws, so what exactly should have happened? They investigated, reached a decision, gave her advice for the future and closed the case.



ETA And she has already given them in writing she will not do it again. 

[EmilieMadison]

Oct 3, 2013 10:27:24 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

Oct 3, 2013 10:25:59 GMT -5 EmilieMadison said:

So, you're saying that the CPS investigator's official opinion is that leaving her 3 children unattended in a car while she went into a store is NOT a problem? 
Are you high? 

It didn't sound like that what's the investigator told her - after all, she was warned not to do it again. But you can't prosecute someone for something that MIGHT have happened, but didn't.

Um. She said she was warned to "be more cautious" (not that she shouldn't leave the kids in the car), and that "...if the investigator thought there was a problem with what happened, what she did, the case would not have been closed that quickly. Especially after reviewing the security tapes and talking to everyone."
So she's saying that CPS doesn't think she did anything wrong, even though her "friend" wont do it again because she doesnt want to be further investigated.


Are you not reading the same things I am?

[BAMFMrsB]

Have NONE of you ever been to a small town?!?! There is literally NOTHING to do except gossip. And you know what feeds the gossip mills? Stirring &%*$ UP! The nurse knowingly lied to a cop and maybe, jussssssssst maybe, that pissed HIM off enough to pursue it.   She knew she was playing 'hero' and making a huge deal out of something, and I'd like to reiterate, THERE WAS NOW A COP ON SITE TO HANDLE THE DRAMA. But oh noes... let's add in CPS to really eff over that mother. THAT'LL SHOW HER. That cop may be mad and want to prove to the nurse that she effed up and he is not going to let her (the nurse) off without repurcussions.

FIL lives in Podunkville, GA. I loathe visiting him. I am on permanent whatcherass vigilance when we are there, because I so do not want to be pulled over in that town. THAT would make for some fun times. My BFF from H.S. came from Nowhere, IN. I visited there with her one summer. Sweet baby jebus, was it boring. The 'newspaper' had the police blotter where they had responded to such dangers as someone shining a laser light through a window.  There really are people that have to make up dramz in the middle of nowhere for SOMEthing to talk about over Sunday dinner. It is awful, pathetic, and terrible to live your life worrying about the 'town gossip' and whether or not its about you.

Revel in the fact that you may have no clue what I'm talking about. But there is a definite reason I live somewhere with a few million+ neighbors.

FWIW, obviously mom should not have left 3 kids alone in a van. But that nurse went and lost her dayum mind and maybe CPS wanted to flex their muscles in the nicer part of town. These things DO happen.

[mcsangel2]

Oct 3, 2013 10:36:18 GMT -5 EmilieMadison said:

Oct 3, 2013 10:27:24 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

It didn't sound like that what's the investigator told her - after all, she was warned not to do it again. But you can't prosecute someone for something that MIGHT have happened, but didn't.

Um. She said she was warned to "be more cautious" (not that she shouldn't leave the kids in the car), and that "...if the investigator thought there was a problem with what happened, what she did, the case would not have been closed that quickly. Especially after reviewing the security tapes and talking to everyone."
So she's saying that CPS doesn't think she did anything wrong, even though her "friend" wont do it again because she doesnt want to be further investigated.


Are you not reading the same things I am?

I AM reading the same things, and I'm being serious, I have no idea what you are reading into this. 

They warned her to be more cautious. Ok??? CPS assigned a new investigator. So clearly they had some problem with the original one. Both the police and CPS via the new investigator said they found no problems and they're closing the case.

Like Trixie said, what do you think they *should* have done to her??