Custodial Rights: If you know a child CPS could ruin your life

Even if you are Not a Parent, CPS Corruption can Ruin your Life!

Custodial rights is a term used by CPS to include nonparent parties in the CPS claim and further alienate the children from the life and people that they know. This can include parties that live in the same home or have spent any considerable amount of time with the children (ie babysitters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, significant others of family members, etc.). Once the party is placed as a respondent with custodial rights (different than parental rights) the party will be placed on the child abuse and neglect registry. (As our case was dismissed, we are working on the grievance to have our names removed from the registry).

One of the first questions that everyone asked when they removed my grandchildren was why didn’t I have custody. Now, as many of you know, family placement is a rarity anyway but our case was a bit different because my daughter’s family lived in a separated section of my home. The state considered my now late fiance and me in the same household and therefore respondents on the case as the state said that we had custodial rights over the children. My mother (who also lived in the home) was not a respondent and there was no concern that we had harmed the children as (A) there was a confession and (B) they did not remove my minor son from the home. However, due to the close relationship that I had with my granddaughter, who we had a complete body scan of which showed no signs of abuse, they knew that the only way to keep from placing the children with me was to place me as a respondent in the case.

I couldn’t understand how I had no legal rights over the children but now I was a “custodial guardian” because I lived in the same home. I began to investigate this and found that living in the household was not the only way that they can claim custodial rights. Babysitters and extended family members are also placed at risk if they have a close enough relationship that would indicate the need to consider them for placement.

Again, we were fortunate with many aspects of our case and I cannot speak for all cases involving CPS.  But I do ask you to realize how wide spread this issue truly is and join the fight for reform before you find yourself in the whirlwind that thousands have already experienced.

Stand together!

“Gigi”