@mariejames I'm glad you are safe and glad to hear a positive story.

@SW-User "As part of the investigation, your child will be interviewed separately from the person alleged to have abused your child. Your child may be interviewed at school. Parental consent is not required for DCS to interview a child. After the initial interview, DCS may determine that the child might need a more in-depth interview, known as a forensic interview. These interviews are normally completed at Child Advocacy Centers."

This is an example from https://www.tn.gov/dcs/program-areas/fca/foster-care/birth-parents/clients-rights.html

@morrgin illegal

@SW-User I've heard that suggestion as well and it makes sense too.

@morrgin I'm not sure. I just know that the abuse was reported by a woman at a department store. I was kept local and was allowed to see my grandmother under supervision, since they wanted to make sure no one was putting things in my head or telling me to lie.

I know a lot of people think CPS is evil and crazy. But they don't typically take kids away from their families, usually, they offer parenting classes and stuff like that. But for me, they had no choices but to take me away since the abuse was very obviously severe.

At least in the area I'm in, they take pride in having a low removal rate because it keeps the children's lives as normal as possible. They really try to keep families together and offer resources.

@SW-User That's the way CPS is supposed to work. Many areas do not follow the same example. My area had a program that has worked wonderfully on keeping family together and when that's not possible to work towards reunification. Then they threw the program out last year saying it wasn't showing positive results and it was putting too many children at risk. They only used it for like 3 months.

@SW-User In oregon they have a removal rate that is 44% higher than the national average.

@morrgin hmm has to be some nonprofit advocacy groups out there. I know in my state they do.

@HannahSky the one group that is non profit do what they can do but they are very powerless and limited in the help they can offer. They mean well though.

@morrgin yeah it's hard, they're usually small. Sounds like you care about your sister a lot.

@CheshireCatalyst they destroy families and are funded based on how many children they remove from homes, put into foster, and more money once the kids are adopted.