LMartinez

Lee High School

How do CPS workers assess and mend certain situations?

Social Worker

Litzy Martinez

Senior Capstone

Jody Snyder

April 13, 2018

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Litzy Martinez

Jody Snyder

Senior Capstone

April 13, 2018

Children Protective Services

Child Protective Services is getting more recognized by the day. Most people think that

CPS takes kids from their family, but that’s not true. “Our Children’s Protective Services (CPS)

program is responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect” (MDHHS).

Children Protective Service workers come between all different types of cases every day. Even

though Children Protective Services has a bad reputation, they just want to make sure the

children are in a safe environment to live in; they don’t want to separate them from their family.

Child Protective Service workers assess and mend certain situations by having access to

resources and programs to help struggling families, provide counseling, and come between

claims made or evidence if abuse is an issue.

Children Protective Services workers have access to resources and programs to help

struggling families. “Social Workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday

lives” (Bureau of Labor). The role of Children Protective Services workers is to help families

that have had one of their children abused or neglected because, of course, the main goal is to

have children reunited with their families again. They have many resources/programs that help

families. In every state, there are different programs, depending on how bad the situation is, but

all try to achieve the same thing - to get families back together. “The families may also receive

one or more other preventive services, including individuals and family counseling, respite care,
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parenting education, housing assistance, substance abuse treatment, child care, and home visits”

(Waldfogel). They have so many resources/programs to choose from, so they can use them to

better their lives.

Child Protective Service workers also provide counseling for parents that had abused

their children, neglected them or used drugs. Drug abuse has increased so much now in this

generation. It has become a problem, and many parents have a drug and/or alcohol problem.

“Approximately 10% of American adults and 3% of adolescents in the United States are addicted

to alcohol or other drugs” (American Academy). The use of drugs during pregnancy or around

children can really affect the child in many different ways. Children that are around parents that

abuse drugs, grow up with a different way of thinking. They grow up thinking it’s okay to use

these substances, just like their parents did. “Children in these dependent families have higher

incidence of child maltreatment child abuse that might results in, incest, truancy ,school phobia

and social delinquency” (PJOPR). Children will become affected and it will impact their futures.

Counseling will help out the parents and CPS workers are there to provide avenues to helpful

resources for families.

Child Protective Service workers also can come in between claims made or evidence of

abuse. Everyday that passes by, child abuse and neglect rises. “Child abuse is the state of

emotional, physical, economic, and sexual maltreatment meted out to a person below the age of

18 and is a globally prevalent phenomenon” (Kiran). Child abuse and neglect is honestly a really

big deal. It has pretty much the same outcome as the issue with parents that abuse drugs.

Children have a different state of mind where they are soaking in everything around them.

Growing up in an abusive/neglectful situation is a major negative for children’s future. No one

really knows how much abuse and neglect can affect a child until something tragic happens.
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“Nearly 1,500 fatalities resulted from such abuse and neglect” (National Association). The fact

that so many children die due to abuse and neglect is an indication that CPS is an important

organization for children. Parents that don’t want a child should not have one or give it up for

adoption. Many couples that can’t have kids, can adopt and give the child a better future. This

may lessen the instances of abuse/neglect.

Child Protective Service workers assess and mend certain situations by having access to

resources and programs to help struggling families, provide counseling, and come between

claims made or evidence of abuse. In order to be a Child Protective Service worker, they have to

know how to use these three things in order to assess and mend situations. Knowing the kind of

resources and programs they have is important, so they can help struggling families. They also

can come between claims made or evidence of abuse. They have to know so many things that are

involved with the government and the laws. Child Protective Service workers deal with some

really severe cases. They all have the same goals - to make sure children and parents are in a

good place and that they should be together as a family unit.

Works Cited

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Social

Workers, on the Internet at

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm (visited
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March 06, 2018).

Dezen, Kristin A., et al. "School psychologists working with children affected by abuse and

neglect." Communique, May 2010, p. 1+. Academic OneFile,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A225937681/AONE?u=lom_accessmich&sid=AO

NE&xid=8b89349f. Accessed 11 Apr. 2018.

Johnson, Jeannette L., and Michelle Leff. "Children of Substance Abusers: Overview of

Research Findings." Pediatrics, May 1999, p. 1085. Academic OneFile,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A54636663/AONE?

u=lom_accessmich&sid=AONE&xid=3a036a56. Accessed 9 Apr. 2018.

Thompson, Sanna, et al. "Parenting in recovery program: participant responses and case

examples." Child Welfare, vol. 92, no. 1, 2013, p. 139+. Academic OneFile,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A338218829/AONE?u=lom_accessmich&sid=AONE

&xid=0522ee51. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018.

Waldfogel, Jane. "Prevention and the child protection system." The Future of Children, Fall

2009, p. 195+. Academic OneFile,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A216632208/AONE?u=lom_accessmich&sid=AONE

&xid=a3175d8f. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018.