When doctors encounter small injuries on a child’s body during routine medical check ups, it makes perfect sense for them for them to order more tests, ask questions, and do follow ups. After all, even minor bruises or unexplained pains can be symptoms of much more serious medical conditions and they shouldn’t be ignored. But when tests don’t reveal a cause, and parents don’t have an explanation, it’s unfortunate that the automatic assumption is usually child abuse. Which has led to a rise in mandated reporting to CPS in recent years.
Mandated reporting results in many parents being falsely accused of child abuse
When a doctor finds unexplained bruises, or finds a hairline fracture, or some other sign of possible abuse, the law requires that they report their suspicions to the police or CPS. And once CPS gets a call saying that abuse is suspected, it’s the equivalent of waving a red flag in front of a bull and telling them that a matador is imminent. They’re not going to wait around to see if someone with a lance shows up, they’re going to assume it’s a fight and charge. CPS is the same way. They will go into this investigation assuming that because a doctor found signs of abuse, that means abuse is the only possible explanation…
Current abuse reports to CPS are getting out of hand
Child abuse is a real problem, and when someone encounters obvious signs of abuse, it needs to be reported. But one of the downsides of a subject receiving such intense scrutiny, as child abuse has in recent years, is that the number of false allegations made against innocent parents jumps significantly. And the number of people who call based on nothing more than a faint suspicion increases. Which means the number of people being harassed by CPS grows, and the number of families at risk of being needlessly torn apart also goes up. So what can be done to address this problem? And does it really need to be an increase in mandated reporting?
According to federal policymakers, it should get worse first…
If that statement doesn’t make sense to you, don’t worry – you’re not alone. But that’s the sad truth. When faced with the growing number of kids needlessly placed in foster care, and the many studies showing that thousands of families are torn apart every year, legislators in Washington are looking to make the problem worse, not better. Two bills – S.B. 1009, proposed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D–Wisc.) and Bill Cassidy (R–La.), and H.R. 2076, proposed by Representatives Kim Schrier (D–Wash.) and Steve Stivers (R–Ohio) aim to increase funding up to $10 million to “increase reporting, reporter training, and investigation of unexplained bruises to CPS authorities.”
Protecting yourself and your family is critically important!
Join us next time for a look at what these bills are hoping to achieve, and how this could impact families all over the US, and right here in Michigan, in the future. Until then, please remember that while a doctor or a nurse may just be following the law, or doing what they believe is “the right thing” the consequences for your family could be devastating! So don’t leave your family’s future to chance! Call The Kronzek Firm immediately at 866 766 5245 and get protection. Our aggressive and skilled child abuse defense attorneys are available 24/7 to help you fight this battle, and win!